Fate
by Irresolute
Summary: The story of how two most explosive personalities bonded and grew to respect and eventually love each other. BulmaXVegeta
1. Chapter 1

The sun beat down in the top story of the innovators of capsule corporations home where the Saiyan prince Vegeta squinted in the light as it seemed to shine through and stab his brain.

Pain buzzed through his body that he noted was wrapped in white bandages. He licked his lips and winced at how dry his throat was when he swallowed.

Some things never change he thought. Although he wasn't in a vat of water like usual. He turned his head and was shocked to see the rude woman that had greeted him by telling him he needed a bath, but she had tried to help him when the gravity pod exploded which he also did not understand.

It seemed she was always showing that concern of hers.

Vegeta didn't care for company and he always was convincing himself that he needed to be alone. He especially did not need the pathetic company of weak earthlings. For a moment he was just surprised at her being here. Then he was skeptical and annoyed.

Then for a moment he felt something like appreciation stir in him. He looked away up at the ceiling wondering at how soft the bed was and how eerie it was to be rescued by people who he had at one point tried to exterminate. He looked back at the woman at the desk when he sensed her movements.

The sun beat in on her pretty face and she stirred and awoke and rubbed her eyes.

"Hey Vegeta. Are you feeling better tough guy?" She asked she sounded hoarse and tired.

"Why are you here?" he asked as he looked away from her.

"Well, you were pretty messed up and it just didn't seem right for you to be alone I guess. I mean you've been out a couple days" She said as she smiled a little sadly with a bit of pity mixed in her face that made Vegeta feel a tinge of annoyance.

"I don't need your pity, and I don't mind being alone." He snapped making his hands fists, immediately feeling pain.

"I never said anything about pity. Sheesh. Calm down yo-" she started but he interrupted her.

"Wait did you say a couple days!" his eyes widened and he tried to push himself up he grunted as his stomach felt like it was being ripped in half.

"Ah!" he cried shaking a bit, but kept trying to sit up. Bulma ran to his side and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Hey! You need to be careful Vegeta. You're really hurt this time. I recommend at least a couple weeks of rest, and that's considering your Saiyan blood. I mean you were messed up when you got here and then you just kept going. Rest please!" She said trying hard to convince the hard headed Saiyan to listen.

He looked at her like she was insane.

"Shut up you idiot!" he shoved her hand off of his person.

She held it like she had been burned.

She didn't snap back or anything just looked hurt.

"Hey, don't think I can't care for myself okay? I can do this on my own I have to beat Kakkarot." He shoved the blankets off and tossed his legs around and a zap of pain went straight up his spine into his head and he leaned forward in pain.

"See? You're pushing yourself too hard. I respect your drive, but seriously you'll never surpass Goku like this! Even he takes break…elongated ones. Mostly to eat." She smiled a bit thinking of her old friend.

Vegeta's pain ridden body seemed to just shake as his eyes narrowed with fire.

"How dare you! I'm acutely aware of the gap between me and Kakkarot, which…" he took a pained breathe "…which is why I have to work harder than him! That clown should never surpass a prince like me!" he held up a fist the room filled with invisible electricity.

Bulma folded her arms.

"That's a nice speech there Prince, but you won't beat him if you do it like this. I'm right and you know it."

He stood up.

"No one tells me what to do, especially some stupid earth woman"

She gaped "You idiot. I'm not ordering you around or anything I'm just telling you how it is and recommending the right course of action and it this case. That's rest!" she unfolded her arms and walked toward him.

He stood and shook but he wasn't going to budge. He stared her down as she continued her approach and he was further surprised when she held up her pointer finger and pushed it into his chest he gasped as he was pushed down easily back onto the bed.

She glared at him steadily before speaking.

"You can't even beat me in this state." She smirked as she crossed her arms and looked down at him.

"How dare you." He shook with rage outwardly but inwardly he was giving his course of action second thoughts. Perhaps, she was right and he should rest, but it seemed ludicrous. He never took breaks on the exception of the healing tanks, but then again that was just mandatory. He definitely wasn't about to let this woman give him orders though. On that the prince was certain.

She looked down at him with a sharp look of authority.

"Fine. I will rest of my own violation." He said finally as he lay back down he struggled to get the blanket out from under himself. He started to feel really embarrassed by this woman seeing him like this and was about to tell her to get the hell out of here so he could be alone, but his angry face was interrupted with a look of surprise as he felt a soft hand on his chest.

"Here." She said simply holding his legs up as she pulled the blanket out and placed it atop him. He just couldn't erase the look of bewilderment on his face.

"If you keep looking like that it'll become permanent! It's cute though." She winked at him putting his face in a square between her upraised hands connecting thumbs and pointer fingers.

"I'm a warrior! I am certainly not cute!" he cried as he leaned back onto the hard head of the bed and took a pained breath. She placed the pillow up behind him so he would be more comfortable.

She scoffed.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She rolled her eyes. And she looked down at him again in with that face again. He was about to tell her to leave when she jumped.

"Oh yeah! I'll go get your breakfast and your medicine." She sprinted off land left him to just lay there and wonder about her kindness especially since she knew exactly who he was. A killer. A murderer. He had not realized how tired he still was in his weakened state and before he could comprehend the thought he drifted into darkness.

Bulma came back in the room and sighed at the sight of his sleeping face. He actually did look kinda cute like that she thought as she sat his breakfast on the desk next to his bed and his medicine. Should she wake him up? She wondered. She decided she would in a few minutes. She left to put his breakfast in a preserving unit in the kitchen. She went downstairs and quickly showered and changed into a long sleeve red shirt and jeans as she did her hair quick straightened her curls and applied make-up.

When she returned she sat down at the desk noted the time to already be about forty-five minutes but she just could not wake him up just yet. So instead she opened the drawer and pulled out a book with diagrams and sketches and started to work on filling in gaps and parts. She wanted to rebuild the new gravity room even bigger and better.

Maybe that would impress the prince. Well, of course it would because it would be down by yours truly! She thought as she stuck her tongue between her teeth and concentrated on her task.

Twenty minutes more passed and Bulma went to the kitchen to retrieve his breakfast and a fresh glass of water for his medicine. The I.V. could probably be removed today if he stayed conscious long enough.

When she got back she sat the breakfast and the medicine down again she also brought a warm cloth with her. A small vial was also on the side of the bowl of hot water.

She squeezed the extra water out of the blue clothe and folded it gently in half. She sat down on the very edge of his bed carefully and leaned forward as she smoothed the edges of the cloth.

"Alright, you have to wake up" She said as she placed the washcloth on his head gently her being so close to him was a bit of a thrill she thought. She blinked as his eyes began to twitch and finally opened. He freaked out and threw the washcloth off his head and hit her smack dab in her face.

"Geez!" she cried throwing the offending cloth down.

"Well at least you're awake." She said as she rubbed her face with her red sleeve.

"Well of course I am! Stupid woman. What are you trying to do?" He said groggily rubbing his forehead. He leaned back to try and drift off again but she walked briskly over and grabbed the vial with a purple substance.

"Don't fight me Vegeta you need to stay awake to eat it's been almost three days and you have to take your medicine. Unless, you want a feeding tube. Do you?" she uncorked the vial and leaned in putting it under his nose.

His nose twitched and he looked at her

"I can go without food for longer than a blasted human you know." He realized that liquid worked quite well.

"What is that substance?" he asked.

"Just something I invented." She smiled with pride.

"Guess I'll be lucky if I survive then it will probably kill me." He leaned back wearily.

"Hey! Shut up. I happen to be a genius! And I'm not all brains either." She posed her hands around her face to emphasize that see was indeed the picture of beauty.

"Whatever." He sighed feeling a serious headache coming on but not sure whether it was his condition whatever was in that vial or the stupid woman's presence. Could be all three he thought.

"Ugh!" she said placing the tray around his thighs and sitting it down on its unfolded legs.

"I suppose you can just doctor yourself. Just follow the instructions on the bottles." She put her nose up in the air.

When she looked back at him she cocked her head to the side at his very focused expression as he scrutinized the bottle.

Her mouth twitched.

"What's the matter?" she asked already getting a hunch.

"Nothing" he said shortly putting the bottle down and started spooning into his soup. He put the spoon in his mouth

"Hot!" he cried and dropped it.

Bulma jumped a bit.

"Um, maybe I should stay and help you after all." She said getting a bit concerned.

He shooed her with his hand.

"Just go. I don't care." He tried blowing on his soup this time. He had begun to survey the rest of his tray littered with alien foods.

"You should probably take your medicine first Vegeta." She prodded as she walked over to his bedside.

"I will. When you leave." He said quickly as he continued blowing on his soup.

She raised an eyebrow and smiled

"You can't read it can you?" she asked finally after a moment of silence.

He almost choked on his soup.

"You really can't you dope! And you're so prideful you won't even admit it!" she pointed at his nose right in the center of his scowling face.

"Can't I eat in peace!" he said as he bite down his soup and cringed as he swallowed the still hot liquid.

"How damn hot does this food have to be! I miss Frieza's disgusting space food at least it didn't try to scald my esophagus!" with that he tossed the offending spoon into the now scorned soup.

"Oh my…" she was about to make a snide comment about how he was avoiding the subject at hand but her curiosity was peaked.

"What was that like?" she asked.

"I just said it was too damn hot don't you—" she stopped him.

"No, I mean working under Frieza…I mean did you…you know—" she was interrupted this time.

"What?" he looked at her from under a dark veil that dared her to make the right choice of words.

She sighed and shrugged trying to ignore the tension in the room as she grabbed up the bottle from the tray and poured two white pills and handed them to him. He took them and bit down into them.

"No!" she cried as he spat them out.

"You're supposed to swallow them silly!" she said as she poured another two and handed him a glass.

"Well, how am I supposed to know if you don't tell me!" he said taking the pills and downed both of them.

"Okay now this is going to taste bad" she said as she poured a red liquid in a red medicine cup and handed it to him.

"You're supposed to drink it." She said.

"I know." He snapped cringing at the taste as it slid down his still burning tongue and throat.

Bulma pursed her lips and moved the chair from the desk and sat it by his bedside and looked at him with that expression of sadness again.

"Do you regret the things he made you do?" she asked.

Vegeta was surprised "He didn't make me do anything. I rather enjoyed what I did. Now do you have something else you need to do around here? Whatever pointless activities it is you earthlings do, please do go find one and indulge in it you stupid woman." He waved a hand at her dismissively.

Bulma would not look at him now and instead was looking down at the floor her body trembling.

"Ugh!" she cried out as she stood up and let the chair fall on the floor behind her and stormed out a swirl of silent agitation being left in her wake.

"Idiot woman." He said as he looked off at nothing in particular wondering how long this primitive technology would take to heal him.


	2. Chapter 2

For the next two days Bulma simply administered to Vegeta's health with an air of duty around her.

It seemed to suit Vegeta just fine who copied her cold demeanor with complete and obviously practiced ease.

Vegeta couldn't believe how long this was taking apparently he had all but completely crushed his legs even though his upper body had healed quite quickly his legs were still badly injured. He didn't know how much longer he could endure this.

"What about those sensu beans that Kakkarot has used before?" Vegeta asked abruptly remembering the magical beans.

Bulma raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm, I don't know how I would get a hold of Korin." She put a thoughtful finger up to her red lips.

"Well? You could try couldn't you?" he looked at her with a concentrated annoyance. "Is it really that hard to do?"

"For crying out loud Vegeta! What is wrong with you? I already asked, okay? They won't be ready for a while they do have to cultivate them, and that takes time. You'll probably heal quicker."

Bulma was handing a now sitting up Vegeta his pills when quite abruptly a rather cheerful and out of place voice popped in the door carrying flowers and a heart shaped box.

"Yamcha!" Bulma said sounding actually cheerful herself and actually relieved at a break from her apparent task.

Vegeta scrutinized the man and when he recognized him he smirked.

When he chuckled Vegeta grabbed Yamcha's attention immediately.

"Whoa so he's still here. Surprised, and a little disappointed he hasn't killed himself yet…and it's still really bizarre that he's here." Yamcha said animosity not hidden at all.

"Yeah, despite his own efforts I've kept him alive." She mused.

"I can keep my own damn self alive!" he sat up violently making the both of them back up a bit involuntarily.

"Well, seems you haven't managed to fix his attitude at all…anyway" Yamcha said handing the flowers and chocolates to Bulma.  
"How sweet, didn't have another girl to give these too for Valentine's day?" She asked a bit sarcastically.

"Yeah. I mean no! I just thought you would like them, that's all" With that he kissed her on the cheek looking her over. She didn't return the favor of the kiss, but she smiled a small smile as she remembered suddenly of the passion they had once felt for each other.

Vegeta meanwhile was starting to feel like he wanted to punch a wall out and get out of here. He did appreciate the show he was getting at all, and he didn't like that clown at all. He quickly decided that of all the earthlings here it was definitely Yamcha he hated the most. The prince detached himself from the situation and gripped the blanket over his legs and thought about how he was going to make up for all this lost time. And damn his legs!

"I came by to see if you wanted to go out tonight…to celebrate since we're both still single and I was kinda hoping you would—" he said tracing her dainty jaw line with his hand and tilted her head slightly up.

"Uh." She voiced then looked over at Vegeta and the plans for the new improved gravity capsule, and she imagined her father would not want to care for Vegeta, but he might work on her plans. She didn't think her mother would be too mindful of caring for the erratic prince, but Bulma felt guilty because she had already settled into this role and to just pass it off seemed wrong. As much as she disliked Vegeta she just felt…responsible.

Vegeta meanwhile concluded that Bulma's decision was obviously to leave with the weakling, and he was about to tell them both to leave him be and care for their obvious love affair elsewhere, but he was interrupted by Bulma speaking.

"No, I have responsibilities here Yamcha. I'm sorry, I can't." She said folding her arms.

Vegeta again was surprised by her and looked at the scene before him with a wide eyed look and then it occurred to him that Yamcha was looking his way with a bewildered and hurt expression and that made Vegeta smirk and tilt his head victoriously.

Yamcha glared back at Vegeta and then looked back at Bulma who had been looking behind her to see what Vegeta was doing and only saw him eating his lunch calmly. Yamcha grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her away from the Saiyan to look at him.

"Be careful." He said as he then embraced her. She embraced him as well. Vegeta choked on a piece of kiwi. Bulma turned at hearing the Saiyan gagging and she ran to his side and pounded on his back.

"Stop you stupid idiot! I'm fine. Stars above." He said pushing her away.

Yamcha looked at them a queasy feeling in his stomach. He hoped she would be okay.

"Bye Bulma." He said as his heart dropped into his throat almost preventing him from saying those two words.

"Bye Yamcha" she said absentmindedly attending to Vegeta.

When Yamcha had left Vegeta looked at Bulma.

"I take it that pathetic earthling is your mate then?" he said.

Bulma looked offended at the rude man before her.

"Yamcha is not pathetic! And no he's not my "mate" not that it's any of your business but we haven't been together for -" she was interrupted trying to think of the exact date with a stark cut off from the prince.

"I didn't ask for a life story." He said shortly a little irritated by the fact that she had revealed they had been together. That bothered him immensely for some reason that he wasn't sure he wanted to explore. He guessed that he was establishing a bit of ownership or something over her. Nothing more than that. He could care less if she dated that stupid earthman once he got better. He wouldn't have to put up with her bothering him.

She sat down at the desk and started sketching on her plans thinking deeply about how she was going to make this better and she was completely unaware of Vegeta as he scrutinized her closely now.

"I hope you like this new design I'm building it's going to be much more challenging than the last one, Vegeta" She said.

They were talking again apparently he thought.

"Really?" he said diplomatically still unsure of whether or not he wanted to speak with her.

"Yeah, I really want to help you." She said smiling at him.

A pang went through his mind like a shivering chill.

"You…want to help me?" he said then on realizing the implications he scowled "You think I need help! I don't need help especially from the likes of you!" he growled.

Instead of getting angry like he expected her to she looked at him with understanding. Bulma had realized that reacting got nowhere with the prince but she wanted to try something else. She wanted to help him.

"Don't worry these plans are worthy of a prince! It will help you more than before."

Vegeta didn't know really what to say in response to this reaction.

"I don't need help though" he cringed at the sound of what he said it made him sound like a child.

She stood up stretching and winked at him and as if that wasn't enough she tussled his hair. He cringed at her touch and looked really pained at the friendly behavior. Bulma with much self-satisfaction turned and sauntered out of the room.

"Good night" she said as the door shut behind her and flipped the light switch.

Vegeta finally reached up to his head and barely touched where she had placed her hand briefly.

CCCC

The next morning Bulma walked into the room where Vegeta was recovering with his breakfast and realized something that she had kind of dismissed and tried to avoid. She hadn't told him that she had given him a sponge bath when he was unconscious before. Very obvious reasons for that, but she was afraid he would probably need one now. Maybe he could move his arms now? She didn't know how quickly massively fractured bones recovered on a Saiyan.

Vegeta was awake trying to get up she noticed and she came over to his bedside again looking him over very carefully as she tried to think of a very diplomatic way to do this, and possibly observe if he was recovered enough to get up and bathe himself.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, curt as usual.

"How do you feel today?" she asked tentatively.

"Like I've been spit out by a galactic slug. How about you?" he said not holding back a bit of contempt.

Bulma rolled her eyes again and wondered with how much she did that around him if her eyes would get stuck up there one day.

She blushed despite herself which did not go unnoticed by Vegeta.

"What?" he said now feeling a bit less cocky but intrigued.

"Well, you see your getting a bit…how should I put this—oh for heavens sake. You need a bath!" she said finally.

"So? That means—oh wait, no that's." he stopped looking at her.

"If it helps I kinda already did it before so—"

"WHAT?" he shouted his face turning an astutely red color.

Bulma cringed. "I'm sorry! You were all covered in blood and dirt. So I'm so sorry that I cleaned you up. Sheesh." She said holding her hands up defensively.

"Well, I'm fine with not taking a bath anyway." He said pursing his lips and raising an eyebrow at her as she sniffed him and put two dainty fingers on her nose.

"Eww! Heck yes you are! You smell." She waved a hand in her face for emphasis.

The comment stung the prince.

"Well, not all of us can bathe in nauseating perfumes now can we?"

Bulma put her hands on her hips.

They seemed to now be at a stalemate and Vegeta was still processing implications and Bulma was trying really hard to think of perhaps a technological solution. Robots just didn't quite have the advancement yet…well it seemed Dr. Gero might have those but she was being too desperate. Be realistic she thought to herself her eyebrows knitted in thought.

"Don't deflect, it's not a big deal stop acting like a child." She said plainly pointing at him with an accusatory finger.

The Saiyan just sat in silence. Bulma crossed her arms and sighed.

"Can you get yourself clean if I help you to the bath?" She asked.

"Yes." He said very decisively barely letting her finish her sentence.

"Are you positive?" she said.

"Did I sound unsure?" he said sharply.

Silence seemed to permeate the surrounding as she gave him his drugs and he ate his food in resigned silence.

"I'll go run the bath okay?" with that she went to the bathroom attached to his room and opened the glass door and permanently locked it open and she started the bath water setting the temperature on the digital setter about the faucet, and put the soap and sponge on a short tray beside the tub.

She was really hoping he was feeling up to this because there was the getting out of the tub to consider as well as…she just shook her head. She couldn't blame him for feeling bad about this, but it's not like he could just stew in his own filth.

When she got back from the bathroom she saw he was up on the side of the bed. She winced at noticing he was still shaking and not looking so hot. Although, he was looking better. Bulma pulled some clean garments: underpants a loose tee shirt and pants and laid them on side of the desk toward the bed.

"I'm going to go get a wheelchair." She left and came back a blue metal chair before her.

"It's motorized but you'll probably need help getting—" he reached out and pulled himself and grunted as he moved to the side of the bed

"I can…take the pain. You can go now." He said giving her a look that could kill.

She had prepared for this and handed him a remote with a button.

"Press this if you need anything." Pleading in her voice she handed him the device.

"A condition." He said.

"Yes?" Bulma prodded.

"You don't come in here unless I press this. No matter what." And he held it up for emphasis.

"Deal" She said.

She leaned up against the wall arms crossed, and nervously tapped her forefinger against her elbow. She heard a large bang and turned to open the door but she remembered her deal. She leaned back against the wall, there were a series of bangs and she wondered if he could have dropped it or something and he couldn't press it now and she barged in.

She sprinted toward the bathroom and saw him on the floor a towel laid across his waist he was in the crawling position.

"Get. Away. Or I swear I will kill you" he moved his hands and almost collapsed.

Bulma ran to his side despite his threat. His eyes were wide and not happy to see her.

"Here." She said simply wrapping the towel around him and tied it to cover him.

"Please. It's only between you and me." She smiled a soft hand on his shoulder moving it around to his chest as she gently wrapped her other arm around his back and under his other arm.

He looked away his blush growing deep, but he nodded his head in a rare form of agreement. Once he was in the chair Bulma began to leave.

"Wait." He said stopping her mid stride she didn't turn around for fear of offending him.

"Stay. Just…" he didn't want to say to help and he wouldn't admit to that and he wasn't about to tell her not to tell anyone like an idiot.

"Forget about it afterward." She finished for him.

He nodded.

They didn't say anything as she helped him get back into bed and helped him get dressed.

She left him alone with his dinner.

She could get the tray in the morning.


	3. Chapter 3

For two days after the incident with the bath Bulma immersed herself in building the gravity machine so it would be ready for the Saiyan prince when he was well enough. She did that and attended to the Vegeta's food medicine although she had delegated that to her mother sometimes. Yesterday Vegeta had started doing push-ups despite her protests.

Sometimes when it was obvious that Bulma was in a hurry in the morning it seemed as if Vegeta picked a fight with her on purpose or was especially difficult. Once he had made her late for a convention about improving nutrition for space travel.

On slower days when it seemed she was getting nowhere on her work on the capsule Bulma would sit and try to get him to talk to her when they saw him at the dinner table and sometimes he would reveal things about himself and sometimes he would not. Always in bits and pieces these things were. Once he asked about her fingers when he saw that they were covered in band-aids and had surprised Bulma bit because he seemed slightly concerned even though he did call her an idiot for hurting herself.

It wasn't long before he was out jogging and back to ignoring her again for the most part it seemed when he got the urge he would bug her about the capsule and make comments about scratches on her arms and that she shouldn't be so stupid as to get them.

Bulma accepted this while she was busy working on the capsule and she was a little giddy at seeing him up and running again. It was strange though it seemed when he had been at his worse he began to get much stronger. She scanned his bone mass and found it had become literally twice as strong. He assured her it was the Saiyan genes, that they grew stronger by almost killing themselves. She thought that seemed a little strange, but she could not deny the scientific finds.

A genetic scientist would have a field day with this, but she hardly thought that Vegeta would jump on the opportunity to be studied.

"You should still be careful though Vegeta, you still have some hairline fractures and you're still pretty bruised." she put her finger along the bone scan photos with a manicured pink fingernail.

He just raised an eyebrow at her.

"Careful, ha." He scoffed like it was a silly sentiment.

"While I think you're strong enough to work out for the most part, you should avoid excessive weight lifting and I'm not sure if you will be ready for the gravity machine for at least another week"

"Yeah right!" he turned away.

"Well, at least we shouldn't have one until I'm finished with mine and if he thinks I'm going to rush he's got another thing coming." She smirked.

CCCC

"Hello dear" it was Bulma's mother who appeared looming over her prone form. Bulma stood up and dusted off her red capsule corporation jumpsuit.

"Ah, I've been working on this capsule day and night. My poor delicate body is aching all over!" she sighed stretching her arms up daintily.

Her mother sat some drinks down on the table and some sweets.

"Ah, thank you, but save the sweets." Bulma said taking a long sip of ice water.

"Here's a napkin." Mrs. Briefs handed her daughter a napkin motioning to the woman's dirty greasy hands.

"Thanks." She said

"Where's Vegeta?" Mrs. Briefs

Bulma swallowed another gulp of water.

"Speaking of the devil." Bulma replied motioning her head to the imposing form of Vegeta jogging up to them still clad in bandages.

"Hey—" Bulma started

"You almost finished with that machine?" He asked not even out of breath.

"Uh, no but I don't think—"

"Does everything out of your mouth have to be stupidity? I don't care about that. Just how far do you have to go? I thought you were supposed to be some sort of genius. You're so slow." He said

Mrs. Briefs gasped "How rude. You surprise me Vegeta."

"He's always like this." Bulma turned to her mom rolling her eyes at her moms apparent and blind admiration for Vegeta, then she turned back to the man in question.

"It'll be done when I tell you it is now go back to whatever it was you were doing." Bulma shooed him away he briefly scowled but left, and when he was out of sight Bulma practically tossed her glass on the table and went back to work on the capsule with renewed fervor.

Her eyebrows scrunched up with irritation. He just was so bratty sometimes! Ugh, sometimes…most of the time was more like it she thought. She screwed in another bolt.

"Looks like I'll have to go to the other side." She pulled herself out from under the capsule and walked up the metal stairs to the main cab of the contraption. It could be used right now but there were some finishing touches to be done with it, it had to be streamlined and perfect before Bulma would be satisfied.

She bent down to the metal hatch some retractable steps activated as the hatch was opened, and she stepped down into the pits of the machine.

She had immersed herself into the last bit of circuitry when she zapped her finger.

"Ouch!" She threw pint sized circuit welder down and subsequently whacked her pinky on the metal paneling that was sticking out on her right. She climbed up the small ladder up into the cab and placed the bolts and pliers from her belt down on the floor and wiped the sweat from her brow.

"Hmph! I'm just going to go take a shower then. No sense killing myself." She put her pinky in her mouth and sucked a bit on it.

"So much cooler outside" she sighed as the door to the outside was opened.

She went inside and stomped up to her room stripped and got into the shower. She put a little mousse on her blue strands and dried and brushed her curls out so that they bounced around her face.

Bulma scrutinized her features.

"Ah clean again" she smiled and winked at herself. She put on her favorite orange black striped mini dress

She walked out to the kitchen and was suddenly very attentive to the fact that the gravity capsule was glowing. She turned around and headed down the hall toward her father's lab.

"Daddy!" her father perked up and looked at her as the sound of the door swishing alerted him to her presence. He was still trying to repair those poor little droids that Vegeta had destroyed a few days ago.

"What is it dear?" he said smiling and wrenching the hard drive from the busted round laser defense system bot.

"Is Vegeta in that capsule?" she asked putting her hands on her hips haughtily.

"Why yes. I believe he is." He said rolling his cigarette between his teeth and eyeing the glowing status button on the keyboard that Bulma had installed.

She pressed the button to activate the screen in the capsule.

"Stop it Vegeta! You are in no condition to be doing this right now!" She glared at him through the screen

He growled at her as he rolled in the air like an immobile jumping jack in four hundred times gravity.

"I know you don't want to believe it but you are made of flesh and blood!" Bulma said regarding the Saiyan angrily.

"Stop pestering me woman! Leave me alone!" he said as a bandage piece fell into his face and he clenched up and fell to the floor still shaking under the pressure.

"You know that I'm right so why don't you just keep quiet and do as I say!" she paused examining him struggle under the harsh gravity in his bandages she smirked "Nothing to say? Well that's good. Now go back to bed and get some rest."

He looked up "Not yet. I do have something to say…" she perked up

"Huh? Is something wrong" she looked straight at him now a victorious look on her face "…or maybe you're going to apologize to me? If that's the case then let's hear it!"

He struggled so he was up on his palms now and his face was upturned to hers on the screen.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted. That wasn't what Bulma had wanted to hear and it hurt a bit considering she had thought that over this past few days he had at least grown to accept her company somewhat.

When the capsule broke down because Bulma hadn't quite finished it yet, she refused to finish it but Vegeta got Mr. Briefs to do the job for him; much to Bulma's chagrin.

Weeks past and Bulma barely slept she kept working in the lab a cup of coffee ever present as she tried to figure out how to design a better spaceship. It was helping her feel less worthless and distracted her from obsessing about Vegeta. It was because she was worried that he wouldn't be able to fight the androids and save earth; because it was obvious that Vegeta was a big fat idiot who was just rude and obnoxious, and had no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Yes, it wasn't because she cared about him. No way. But he was someone that she thought needed to find happiness here. Somehow. Maybe he could find a girl. She laughed at the thought, but somehow it made her uneasy. Could anyone make him happy?

She looked at the designs of the original Saiyan technology.

"Fascinating. It's so amazing how well they advanced…and all in the interest of fighting and war" she added with a bit of sardonic tone.

Her brain was trying to process the designs and numbers in front of her but she floated back to the thought of Vegeta dating someone. It would have to be someone really special, and really understanding. Bulma was deep in thought and before she knew it she had fallen asleep at her desk.

Meanwhile Vegeta came back sweating and dirty as usual to the door. He looked around for the old man Dr. Briefs but the guy always went to bed so early. He stomped down toward the lab; when he got there he saw Bulma asleep at the desk.

He was about to yell and wake her up, but he stopped and left to go to bed himself instead

Bulma and Vegeta practically did not exist to each other for the next few weeks, the blue haired woman had now set to task on drawing the final designs for the ship to be built when the door opened and that black tower of hair appeared. She leaned around the chair flopping her arm loosely behind her and regarded the Saiyan with a tilted head of irritation .

"What do you want? My fathers not here." She turned back around and started sketching the blue prints. She could just install them in the computer but she liked getting into the design. She would scan them in and the computer would prefect them.

A dirty ripped glove appeared in front of her face.

"I need you to fix the defense mechanism. Since the old man isn't here…you'll do just fine. Or can't you handle it?" he smirked tossing the mangled bot on her plans which leaked oil on her sketch.  
Bulma shook in anger almost snapping her pencil in half.

"Look here you spoiled egomaniac! I will not tolerate this! You didn't want me to pester you, now don't pester me!" she tossed her pencil down and threw the bot at the prince who barely dodged it.

"I'll blast you!" he cried.

"Go ahead" she snapped and stomped passed him and her father as he entered through the lab doors.

Vegeta was immediately pacified as the old man entered.

"I need your expertise" Vegeta sighed.

"Of course" the man simmered and looked at his shoulder kitty with a tired look.

Bulma started doing her plans in her room with the door locked. When she had finished them she ordered the parts to be made and when they arrived outside she started putting the skeloten together with the help of some builder parts.

"Oh dear, what are you doing?" Bulma's mom said as she held out some ice water to the girl who took it gratefully.

"Well, I'm perfecting a spaceship. The other design is nice but this one will be able to handle even more harsh conditions and I think it's worth it." She said

"Of course dear." Mrs. Briefs said regarding the round skeleton.

"The builder bots will help until it gets down to the delicate stuff" she sighed putting the glass back down on the tray and sitting down on the ground roughly.

"I just got sick of sitting around mom." She added looking at her mom.

"Of course, well I'm going to be making lunch. Vegeta always shows up then if you want to make up to him." She winked at her daughter

"Oh mom you're crazy." Bulma said rolling her eyes and looking back at her designs.

She cringed at the sound of Vegeta's voice.

"Still doing that busy work huh?" the Saiyan said.

"Would you shut up? I don't really care about what you have to say right now Vegeta" she frowned trying to ignore him.

He regarded the skeletal sphere.

"Hey Bulma! Vegeta!" it was Mrs. Briefs "Time to eat kids!" she shouted and waved from the patio.

Vegeta turned and started for the Capsule Corporation house and Bulma made a face of contemplation and decided she was hungry after all and headed in behind the prince.

They all sat down for what felt like the first time in forever considering Bulma had been avoiding the Saiyan like the plague.

"So really what are you doing dear?" Dr. Briefs said looking at his daughter.

"I'm building an improved spaceship dad she said taking a drink of water and wiping her mouth.

"Well, just don't forget the cappuccino machine, very important" he said as he took bite of fish and shook a fork at her for emphasis.

"Uh, of course dad." She said taking a bite of fish herself.

Vegeta looked at the old man and Bulma.

"On my planet we had large factories that built our ships in hours." He gulped down his glass of orange juice and let out a satisfied breath.

"Whatever" Bulma yawned and stood up.

Vegeta seemed to just ignore her flippancy and stood up finished with his meal and headed back out.

Bulma kept her distance behind him and went back to work on her ship. She would work on that ship and she would not think about that bruised idiot trying to kill himself.

For the next few days Vegeta looked back to the ship capsule where she always seemed to be, and never seemed to get anywhere. What a genius she was turning out to be. If she really was a genius surly she could move faster or develop a more advance way of dealing with what she had called "delicate" parts.

He huffed and headed inside to get his food. He looked at the earth clock and noted he was later than usual 3 o'clock a.m. and the funny thing is he only needed a few hours of sleep while the earth people needed about eight full hours. It was really funny to see Bulma in the morning with her coffee trying to retain his schedule she seemed to be getting up when he did and going to bed when he did.

In the same thought Vegeta realized she wasn't there. Where was she? He thought.

Maybe she already went to bed? No, her boots weren't by the door. But sometimes she did just wear them to her room because her weak body was tired. The robots could have cleaned up her dishes. He was curious he told himself not concerned for the silly woman as he ran up to her room and stealthily opened the door and peeked in. He noticed nothing was touched and she was not there.

"Hmm" he said to himself only one more place to look he bounded out to the capsule. He looked in and saw her on the floor. He opened the automatic door and walked in.

She woke up whacking her head on the top of the metal control panel she was under.

"Vegeta!" she looked at him then her watch "Oh, I was only out for ten minutes."

"Ha. You're weak earth woman! You'll never get this done another earth year will be up before you're done." He scoffed crossing his muscular arms.

Bulma was not in the mood for this she was tired hungry and she had been pushing herself to her limits.

"Shut up. Why are you here anyway?" she set to working on the panel with a small wiring device vehemently ignoring him.

He seemed to pout a bit but she didn't look and he just left wordlessly.

"Whatever sleep in there" he grumbled to himself as he left.

It was nine a.m. when Vegeta emerged to breakfast.

"Where's the woman?" he asked the Briefs when he sat down at the table.

"Bulma?" the both said simultaneously.

"Yes, who else?" he grabbed the orange juice Mrs. Briefs poured for him.

They shrugged.

"Probably still asleep." He smirked.

Just then a swirl of dark energy emitted from the patio doors as a hunched over monster that looked like it used to be Bulma emerged from the morning sun. She lurched forward her greasy cut up hand landing flatly on the table by Vegeta. She glared him down with the most victorious , tired and satisfied smirk he had ever seen.

"I'm done you spoiled self serving son of a bitch!" and with that she turned around and headed toward her room and disappeared leaving a wondering silence behind her.

"Oh my, what language." Mrs. Briefs gasped.

Mr. Briefs sipped his coffee "Get's if from you." He said simply.

Mrs. Briefs blushed "Ah, well…" she seemed to drift off and poured herself some coffee and sat down to drink it and munch on a coffee cake.

Vegeta smiled.

"Finally." A small part of him respected Bulma though even though he would never admit it out loud.

Bulma hadn't done anything but lay in her hot tub and read magazines for about the next day and half. So she finally emerged from her room at around ten and shuffled to the coffee machine.

She found a little flowery post-it note on the coffee machine that her mother had written about going to the store, but that there was a breakfast preserved for her in the counter capsule number two which was Bulma's usual Capsule.

She sat at the table and she sipped her coffee seeming to lack purpose. Well it was the summer! She thought suddenly. She should make some lemonade!

In the gravity room at Capsule Corporation there was a constant hum of electronic workings as a Saiyan warrior pushed himself constantly. He doesn't stop except for water, and sometimes not even for that.

The machine powered down and seemed to sigh in relief after being worked so hard. A very sweaty shirtless Vegeta looked at his water bottle which didn't have a drop of fluid left, empty.

"Empty like my life has become!" he threw the bottle at the wall of the gravity room; it made a very unsatisfying plastic snap and rolled harmlessly to the Saiyan's feet.

"Hmpf" he zapped it leaving nothing but a black star of soot where it had lay. He used to have so much pride, so much honor, as a Saiyan warrior now he was training to save this worthless rock. No, he would surpass Kakkarot, but he used to be so full of killing desire and he's a Saiyan prince!

Vegeta was having a hard time dealing with his current situation. How could he be with them? How was it possible that the prince of all Saiyans is reduced to a sidekick to Kakkarot and his pathetic friends?

And the blue haired girl he…his thoughts seemed to stop functioning properly for a moment. His mind went back to her sleeping face at his bed side and her continuous help during his recovery. He had pushed himself so hard and had been nothing but dismissive of the woman, but she didn't seem to mind it. She seemed to want to help him, and he didn't get it.

His head snapped to the door where the girl of his thoughts suddenly appeared blue curls and all. That smile planted on her face. His eyes narrowed in irritation and he crossed his sweaty arms.

"Why are you here woman?" he turned very slightly to her.

"Don't be such a jerk" she huffed handing him a tray with a pitcher and two empty glasses. He barely caught it as she dug in her jean pocket for a capsule and threw it in the room floor. It popped open a table appearing complete with two chairs.

"Ah, that's better, you can sit those down now Vegeta." She smiled

He grunted in agitation and did so. He didn't think it was necessary to bring a table and chairs. She seemed to insist on bothering him no matter how many times he told her to leave him alone.

"The drink would have sufficed." He mumbled.

"What?" she said absent mindedly to him sitting down at the table and looking at him.

"Why are you interrupting my training?" He said raising an eyebrow blatantly not repeating himself.

"Don't be so short with me I saw that the room was powered down and I didn't want you to get all dehydrated." She said pouring the lemonade in two glasses.

He pursed his lips.

"I can get my own drinks—" he stopped picking up the glass. "Why is this water discolored?"

Bulma giggled "Wow! It never gets old, you're so cute…oddly enough. You remind me of Goku a little when we first met, you don't know anything about earth."

The prince growled at being compared to Kakkarot and narrowed his dark brown eyes at her.

"Just answer the question stupid woman."

"God, no need to get testy Prince Vegeta" she emphasized the prince as if it were a joke which made Vegeta's spine tingle with anger his fingers twitched and he had to close his eyes a moment when he opened them she still had that look of amusement on her face.

"Well!" he said shaking a fist at her. He harrumphed calming and crossing his arms on his chest "Are you going to tell me or what?"

"It's lemonade silly." She said

"Lemonade?" he said as he picked up a glass staring through its contents at the girl behind it.

He took a sip and spit it out all over the table and Bulma.

"Ah! Hey gross!" she squealed jumping away from the table.

"This liquid is horrendous! You must be trying to poison me!" he growled.

To his surprise she grabbed the glass from him and splashed the remainder of it in his face and without missing a beat she grabbed the table and capsulated it all.

"You prince Vegeta are an ungrateful brat!" she stomped off out the door leaving the stunned Saiyan with his hand still in place where the glass had been. She was perhaps the boldest woman he had ever encountered. The shock on his face on him realizing what had occurred faded to anger as he clenched his fists.

"Brat! How dare she! I'll…I'll" what? What would he do, he…

When his thoughts bore no fruit for how he could punish her he grabbed his head his eyes wide.

"She's impossible!" he threw his hands down and started the machine again.

CCCC

"He's impossible!" Bulma tossed water on her face from the bathroom sink and scrubbed at her hands trying to the sticky lemonade off of her person. She had made that lemonade herself. She had squeezed in by hand. She wiped her face with a pink plush towel smearing her red lipstick across her face. She looked back in the mirror.

"Ah!" she cried quickly wiping the red substance from her chin and cheek.

She looked at herself closely.

"Doesn't he realize how pretty I am?" she questioned her reflection. "Hmpf. How dare he treat a lady in such a rude fashion, barbarian." she sighed opening a blue little make up box and retrieving her red lipstick and powder.

She put the lipstick on swiftly, rubbing her ruby lips together. She proceeded to put her face in a cloud of white powder.

"Ah! Much better" she grinned at her reflection.

She pranced out of her bathroom feeling much better thoughts of Vegeta's offence fading.

She walked onto the massive patio out back. Her mom was sitting with her father they were both drinking tea.

"Why hello Bulma Dear! Would you like some cake?" Her mother asked.

"Um no thanks Mom." Bulma said thinking about how she didn't want to ruin her figure. "I'm actually going to go to the gym okay?"

"Hmm" Dr. Briefs looked her over. "You've been quite conscious of how you look lately…well more so dear."

She blushed a little "What do you mean daddy?"

"Oh, nothing" he said sipping his tea.

"Hmpf, fine well I'm heading out then." She skipped off.

Her parents watched her prance away and looked at each other. Dr. Briefs spoke first.

"About when did this start?" he asked already knowing.

Mrs. Briefs shrugged "About a week ago when that Saiyan man showed up" she said sipping her tea cheerily.

"Yes. That would be about right" he looked off into the distance not knowing what to think of this.

"I wonder what Yamcha's up to?" Mrs. Briefs said

"Me too." Dr. Briefs said and they both fell silent


	4. Chapter 4

Anything You Can Do…

Bulma emerged from the ladies locker room. She knew she could just use the wonderful gym that her father had set up for her but she liked going to the gym. She was a social butterfly after all.

Her smile faded when she noticed a certain individual across the room ogling a group of girls doing an aerobics routine.

She came up behind him.

"What are you doing Yamcha?"

He jumped.

"Bulma! Hi, how are you?" He laughed blushing.

"I suddenly feel like this place is too crowded." She strode away from Yamcha to the locker room and grabbing her bag and leaving the gym and Yamcha to watch her in vexation, but he just shrugged and went back to lifting and watching the ladies.

Bulma had forgotten that this was the gym that her ex frequented. And to see him like that was just annoying and she would rather not.

She got into her floating car and sped off. It seemed she would exercise at home after all.

CCCC

When she entered the house she tossed the capsule box on the counter half hazardly and she shuffled to the sink to get a drink of water. She filled the glass thoughts going through her mind. Why did Yamcha have to be such a dud. She looked up at the clock and gasped at the time 6 p.m. already! It wasn't that late but she had left at two. Where had the time gone? She drank the water and with renewed vigor headed down the hall to the gym. She was surprised to see someone was in the gym.

"Hmm? Vegeta?" she looked in turning the corner trying to be sneaky.

He of course had a ridiculously large dumbbell and was pumping it with ease.

"Are you just going to stare at me all day woman?" Vegeta said interrupting her observation.

She cringed "Ah, This is my gym you know." She said as matter-of-factly.

"Shouldn't you be in the gravity room?" She said her hands on her hips.

He gave her a side-ways glance "It over heated your father said he would fix it tomorrow." He said shortly.

She rolled her eyes and strode over to the weights on the rack giving them a once over before settling on a set of fives and picking them up.

Vegeta chuckled a bit.

"What?" she looked at him her eyes narrowed

"The women on my planet were never so weak." He said looking at her.

"I didn't ask to be compared to stupid alien monkey freaks!" she bore her blue eyes into him, he was unaffected and just kept pumping his weights his eyes closed serenely.

Bulma blushed with anger but she looked the weights on the rack. She wondered briefly if he had a woman on planet Vegeta. She shook her head ridding the thought from her mind. She could get bigger weights she thought.

She was torn between being stubborn and proving that stupid Vegeta that she was strong. She put the five pound weights back and looked down the line at the bigger weights they all looked so intimidating. She was about to just pick up her original choice when she happened to glance over to where the Saiyan was sitting on the bench and he was looking right at her his dark eyes boring right into her haughtily a smirk on his face.

She blushed with anger and picked up two fifties and stumbled around away from the rack before falling backward into the weight rack. She landed on her butt and smacked her head on a protruding dumbbell one of the fifties weights she had picked up narrowly missing her foot. She sat up rubbing her head and was completely mortified as the sound of Vegeta's short bit of laughter filled her aching skull.

She thought about leaving but realized that's probably what he wanted she looked at the dumbbells laying on the floor and then back at him.

"Pick those up." She said standing up and putting her hands on her hips striding up to where he sat and looking down at him.

"You're the one that dropped them." He said laughing a little and standing up towering over her a bit making her step back a smidge before he turning away and putting his two dumbbells on the rack with a ping of steel and turning away swiftly from the weights on the ground.

"Fine." She said heading to the leg press.

Vegeta fluidly worked out for the rest of the time sweating but never seeming to get tired as he did vertical pushups and everything else.

Bulma was out of breath. She thought she had been working out pretty well for the last couple weeks but she didn't have near the stamina that the alien man seemed to have.

"Doesn't he ever stop?" She gasped.

She looked at the clock and her eyes widened, it was ten thirty! Surly he was almost done. He did have to sleep right? She thought looking at him doing pull-ups with ease that she had never dreamed.

Vegeta was starting to get agitated doesn't she ever stop? She looks like she's about to fall over in exhaustion. He laughed a little in his head. Was she trying to prove something? He thought. That was ridiculous if anything she was proving that she was weak.

He looked over at her noticing she was looking at him again he flipped up on the bar and did vertical pushups on the bar.

Her mouth hung open a little and Vegeta smirked serenely. She seemed to give up getting up off the elliptical and putting her arms at her sides.

She strode out of the gym Vegeta watched her leave and swiftly dropped down from the bar and walked over to a small table grabbing a folded towel to wipe the sweat from his face.

Bulma huffed as she made her way into her personal bathroom.

She splashed her face with water to keep the sweat from continually dripping off her brow into her eyes and started to strip angrily. That pompous Saiyan really got under her skin. She stepped shakily into the shower sighing as the hot water hit her exhausted body. She was going to be very sore tomorrow. And to her it was entirely his fault.

Meanwhile, Vegeta stepped outside and started to jog. To him it was a slow pace but to the onlooker it appeared as if he was sprinting. He would like to go faster but as much as he hated to admit it the gravity machine was working him hard and even though he missed out on a few hours today it was still exhausting enough that he felt slightly weakened. He ran around the grounds a couple times before stopping and realizing that his stomach was growling. Because of that stupid woman he didn't eat.

CCCC

Bulma dried off and was promptly reminded that she hadn't eaten since this morning as a pang hit her stomach she slipped into her fluffy blue robe.

"Hungry…" she moaned as her stomach growled in agreement. She debated on whether she would make it through eating or if she would fall asleep.

She shuffled to the kitchen and was surprised to hear that someone else was in there.

"Vegeta!" she gasped in horror putting her hands up to guard from the Saiyan who looked at her blankly shoving his face with a big sandwich.

"So you haven't collapsed yet? Surprising." He said swallowing a bite of his sandwich and gulping down some water.

Bulma fumed.

"Whatever, you're such a brat." She waved her hand dismissively opening the fridge.

Vegeta squeezed his sandwich boring his eyes into her small form. That again. Brat. How that bothered him. It really shouldn't matter he told himself turning away his face blushing with anger.

Bulma pulled out a salad and a bunch of dressings.

"What is that?" he said observing her choice of food.

"It's a salad stupid boy." She said getting a plate out and a fork.

His eyes widened now, boy? Really? He fumed inwardly. He started another sandwich ignoring her.

She was sitting down at the table spearing a fork into her finished salad.

"How can that nourish you?" he said raising an eyebrow at the green concoction.

She just looked straight ahead chewing her bite of salad.

Ignoring me? Ignoring me he thought rapidly. Why did he care? He scoffed.

"Hmm…?" she said looking at him. He didn't turn around until he had finished his sandwich and when he turned around about to say something he saw her face was in her salad he looked a bit vexed as he walked over to her wondering if she was eating like that. He heard her snort and realized what had happened.

"She fell asleep" he said bemused and then suddenly he looked at her and was reminded of her kindness before when she had not left his side and had slept on that desk. He leaned over her looking at her peaceful sleeping face. If only she was like this all the time he thought.

"Hmmmm…" she said rubbing her face in the salad. Vegeta's face froze in an involuntary smirk that began to twitch and before he could stop himself he laughed out loud his hands on his stomach.

"Whoa!" Bulma was awake throwing her hands back in the chair. Vegeta stopped a moment to look at her predicament, but she jerked a moment before the chair tilted back she just barely righted herself again with her hands firmly on the table. Vegeta started laughing anew.

"I haven't laughed this hard since….maybe when I was a child!" he said wiping a bit of tears from his eyes. Truthfully though he didn't remember laughing much when he was a child he had been enslaved and thought of nothing but power so memories weren't exactly filled with mirth and joy if they had any at all.

"Vegeta! You idiot!" She gasped standing up with a military like pose tears in her eyes and pointing at him.

Vegeta's eyes went wide with surprise.

"Uhhhh…" was all he could manage.

"Oh speechless now!" She smirked putting her hands on her hips.

Vegeta clenched his teeth and every hair on his body seemed to stand on end. Much to his chagrin a deep blush seemed to burn into his face. Obviously she did not have clothes underneath this over garment she was wearing.

"Cover yourself you stupid harlot! Galaxy above." He said as he turned away.

Bulma looked down and gasped her face growing hot. She quickly retied her robe. Never in a million years would she have thought to find herself in this situation. Ever. This was so bizarre. Note to self she thought now that we have a permanent guest always be clothed. Heavens above this was so stupid she thought.

"I have to go to bed now." She said her pride shatter into micro dust.

Vegeta did look at her he turned away and she did too and not a word was spoken. For once.

CCCC

Vegeta changed and headed for the shower which was through his room. He was thankful that Bulma and her family could provide him with his own washing receptacle. H stepped under the water and it take long before a stream of blood and dirt headed for the drain he watched it with empty eyes. How much did he have to bleed before he caught up to that stupid Kakkarot. He needed to become a super Saiyan!

Suddenly it seemed his brain changed the channel on him and he pictured Bulma as she had revealed herself to him momentarily in the kitchen.

"Ugh!" he thought with disgust. He was actually glad for the lack of women in his enslavement with Frieza. They were just trouble and they needlessly complicated things. At least, it seemed as if that's how it was with Kakkarot, or maybe it was what made him stronger? Vegeta contemplated this for a moment as he used a washcloth to wash himself down going over bleeding cuts like it was nothing. He soaped his hair and rinsed it off quickly and got out walking into his bedroom. He narrowed his eyes at the pink pajamas on the end of his bed.

"I swear this is done on purpose" he mumbled putting them on.

He lay atop the covers staring at the ceiling trying desperately to control his thoughts and be constructive with them. Finally he began to drift to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Good Morning

Vegeta awoke glancing at the clock five-thirty time to get to work he thought his arms unfolding he hadn't moved an inch since he fell asleep. Silently he changed from the disgusting pink garments to a pair of black sweats and a black tank top. Thank the galaxies they had normal colors for him to wear.

It was just barely getting bright out as Vegeta strode through the kitchen grabbing what they called an apple and a glass of water. He would come back to breakfast at eight as usual.

CCCC

Bulma yawned and stumbled into her personal bathroom gasping as she looked in the mirror.

"UGH! What is on my face?" she said rubbing some on her finger and sniffing it. Her tongue stuck on in disgust. "Salad dressing? Why…?" she shook her head.

"Oh yeah." She mumbled washing it off with both hands.

She went over to the shower and adjusted the temperature with the digital temperature adjuster she had installed herself. Her showers had to be perfect she smiled to herself. She was a genius after all. The warm water began to wash away the morning haze the steam drifted over her screaming muscles which she was also becoming acutely aware.

Then she began to remember what happened last night and her face became a blazing heat of embarrassment. How could that happen! She thought angrily trying to channel her embarrassment into anger.

She was just going to act like it hadn't happened, that's right.

"I'm going to pretend it never happened" she said as she shampooed her hair.

She dressed herself in jeans and fitted red tee.

"I don't look so bad" she said smiling and she turned to head to the kitchen.

"Time for some serious coffee!" she said to herself.

"Good morning dear! I didn't know if you'd make it to breakfast" Mrs. Briefs said looking at the digital clock on her stove which read thirty past eight.

Just then Vegeta came in the automatic patio door covered in sweat and blood as usual.

Bulma made a disgusted face. Vegeta saw her and seemed surprised he had hoped she would have already eaten her usually measly amount, and gone to that stupid lab of hers. But apparently he forgot to factor in that the woman had practically been on the verge of collapse from her little "work-out" as weak a workout it had been. He should have just come earlier.

He pulled a chair out purposely avoiding Bulma's stare.

"Well good morning to you too." She said sarcastically as her mom placed a steaming bowl of blueberry oatmeal in front of her.

Vegeta raised his eyebrow at her choice. Why did she always eat such worthless foods? He thought as Mrs. Briefs placed his usual pile of eggs, bacon and a big helping of sausage.

Bulma and Vegeta both said nothing to each other. Mrs. Briefs looked from one to the other.

"Awfully quiet this morning" Mrs. Briefs said in her usual cheery tenure.

"Hmphf." Bulma voice "Hey, mom where's dad?" she asked upon looking at her fathers empty chair.

"Off at that convention of his, remember?" her mom said.

"WHAT!" Bulma said standing up and bumping the table causing Vegeta to choke on an egg. He pounded he's chest and made a face as he dislodged the offending piece of bacon that flew out onto his plate, but otherwise said nothing.

"Are you alright dear?" Mrs. Briefs asked

"Of course not! I was supposed to go with him remember?" Bulma said looking at her mom like she was stupid.

"I was talking to Vegeta dear." She said looking at him with concern.

"I'm fine." He said resuming eating.

"Hellooo, I'm your daughter here!" Bulma said.

"There's no comparison." Vegeta mumbled. Apparently Bulma heard him and she was already angry so she turned toward him like a viper.

"What's that prince brat? You have something to say?" She said looking at him waiting.

He wiped his mouth with his napkin narrowing his eyes.

"The only brat here is you." He snapped going back to his meal again.

Mrs. Briefs took advantage of the silence and intervened.

"You're father tried to wake you up dear, but you were out cold." She said sitting a steaming cup of coffee in front of Bulma.

Bulma sighed.

"Yeah." She sat down looking at her steaming oatmeal and her delicious cup of coffee thinking of what happened last night. She looked over at Vegeta he was silently eating like he always did.

"How's the gravity room working?" She asked him taking a bite of her oatmeal.

"Fine." He said shortly finishing his meal and getting up.

"What a conversationalist." Bulma lamented looking at his exiting form.

Deals a Deal

Vegeta was pushing three hundred fifty gravity when suddenly the machine shut down.

"What the…" he said looking around.

He exited the contraption and was greeted with a smiling blue haired female.

"Hey!" she said smiling.

Vegeta crossed his arms across his bare sweating chest.

"What's wrong with the machine?" he asked icily.

"Nothings wrong. I just had a remote shut down installed when I fixed it." She said tilting her head in mock politeness.

"Oh really? Well you should just turn it back on then." He said narrowing his eyes.

"No. You're taking a break before you kill yourself." She said crossing her arms across her chest.

"Maybe I'll kill you." He said.

"Uh, no you won't because then who will take you to the fair!" She smiled.

"The…fair?" he said his arms uncrossing.

"Yeah, it's called fun" She said looking at him up and down "You should go clean up first. I won't be seen in public with you like that."

"What makes you think that I'm going to do this ridiculous fair!" he shouted now getting a bit miffed.

"Oh, you will or you won't get your precious gravity room back. Besides if you come with me I promise to not bother you for the rest of the week. How does that sound?" she winked.

He smirked this could be a good idea. No more "lemonade" or special visits for a whole week. No more stupid woman caring about his health and what not this could be worth it he mused. I mean it was already five p.m. so it's not like he would miss out on too much training; although, it would pain him to miss it seemed obvious that this annoying little wretch was just going to shut the thing off, but then again maybe he could make the deal sweeter.

"Six weeks" he said looking her down.

"What?" She said.

"Six weeks of you leaving me completely alone. No talking, no interrupting my training and no bothering me about my health. Got it?"

Bulma thought about this a bit.

"Well fine. Have it your way" she shrugged "You have an hour to get ready I'll meet you at the garage m'kay?"

"Very well." He said with an air of victory turning away from her.

"Also…" she said stopping him for a moment.

"I put some clothes on your bed for you to wear." She said

He grimaced, and hoped it wasn't pink.

CCCC

Vegeta quickly showered jumping out and wrapping a blue towel around his waist, and looked at his face in the mirror. Maybe he should shave? He thought but that would make her think he cared wouldn't it? Well, he had always shaved he just had not this morning. It couldn't hurt to do that now. It wasn't that he cared what she thought or anything.

He finished shaving and walked into the room and glared at the clothes that were set out for him.

A pink button up shirt and jeans. Seriously these earthlings.

CCCC

Bulma went to her bathroom jumping in and showering and getting out she looked in the mirror noticing the steam she flipped the fan switch and it completely dissipated. She dressed in a pair of jean shorts and a blue fitted tee and decided on a red scarf around her neck.

She looked back into the mirror at her face. Red lipstick? Or no lipstick? It's not that she cared what that barbaric monkey boy thought, but she always had to look good.

"Red lipstick I think that will do" she said putting it on smoothly.

Hopefully it wasn't a great disaster to take him it wasn't like it would kill him to go out she just wanted him to see how wonderful earth can be. After talking to Goku about him and finding out how hard his life must have been he really needs to cut loose and have some fun she thought.

"For sure!" she said grabbing her hair straightener and straightening out the ends of her hair were her curls still remained. She should get her hair cut sometime, maybe shoulder length again?

With that she looked at the clock and gasped.

"Oh no! I'm late" she cried grabbing her blue purse and running to the garage.

CCCC

Where is that stupid woman? Vegeta thought looking at the sky certainly it had been an hour already. His lip twitched upward in a confused state of anticipation and being very irritated by being so disrespected by the earth woman.

Just then the door to the house swished open and Bulma came running through her hair swishing abnormally free of curls. Vegeta looked her up and down silently as she whirled ever toward him not noticing his attentions.

"Sorry I'm late!" She said pulling the keys out of her purse.

He rolled his dark eyes. "Whatever."

Bulma ignored his behavior and motioned for him to get in the red convertible capsule corporation designed floating car that appeared when she pressed the remote on her Capsule Corporation keychain.

He jumped in and sat in his seat crossing his arms.

Bulma opened the door and sat down buckling her seat belt "You should buckle up prince!" she said cheerily.

"Why?" he said testily.

Bulma looked waiting for him to buckle

"Just go." He said patience wearing thin.

"Okay!" she shouted hitting it into high gear almost throwing Vegeta out.

He quickly buckled.

Bulma laughed.

Vegeta rolled his eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

Earthling Fun

Vegeta looked around at the contraptions spinning and whirling, and the many children running around laughing and tugging on parent sleeves. The flashing lights with their psychedelic color washed over Vegeta making him squirm and scrunch up his nose. Bulma noticed his scowl and rolled her eyes and before she could tell him he was just no fun and a scrooge he looked at her with an under the eyebrow elitist scowl.

"What kind of insanity have you brought me to?" He said

"It's called fun" she put her hands on her hips contorting her face in a sour state.

He huffed putting his hands in his pockets as they continued walking. As they walked a man with hazel hair and expensive sunglasses nudged the rotund guy beside him. "Look at that." The man with the sunglasses said lifting his glasses gently to get a better view of the blue haired woman.

"He hot stuff!" a man whistled both Vegeta and Bulma looked ahead where Mr. Sunglasses stood by a drink vendor, and his fat friend sauntered toward the couple. They were very confident and seemed to think they were everything and more. Even the fat one Bulma noted with a smirk.

"Heeey, girly." Mr. Sunglasses said leaning in toward her smiling. "You look like Mr. Pinky here is boring you. Wanna hang with me?" he asked shaking his eyebrows. The fat guy coughed. "Oh, and Mike here too." he shrugged.

"Uh—" Bulma started but Vegeta stepped in front of her his arms tight to his chest and his legs shoulder length apart an air of warning around his form.

"And what makes you think I'll let her?" he said scowling at them.

The guy waved back like he had been pushed "What? You giving orders to the little lady?" he said crossing his arm trying to copy Vegeta's posturing.

"What if I am?" Vegeta said.

To Vegeta's surprise the guy smiled.

"Well, then maybe you should have told her to stay put, Mr. Pinky?" He and his fat friend Mike chuckled.

Vegeta looked behind him. He bit his lip rolling his eyes back to the left where he was acutely aware of Mr. Sunglasses attempt to sucker punch him, and he dodged fluidly still keeping his arms crossed.

"Whoa! A fast little guy. Surprised that stupid hair don't weigh you down buddy." Mr. Sunglasses tightened his fist and turned to Vegeta.

The Saiyan prince couldn't believe this. He saw her over by a vendor with a giant pink fluff ball being handed to her she seemed quite pleased with herself too. Now Vegeta was annoyed.

To make matters worse Mr. Sunglasses hadn't given up and was strutting toward the Saiyan cockily.

"You won't be so lucky this time Mr. Pink." The guy assured him.

Vegeta growled "you're not even worth my time," and before the guy made another move he was surprised to find the Saiyan prince just walking slowly toward him and reached a hand, the guy just raised an eyebrow. Before he could get a comment out, Vegeta flicked him in the forehead like a bug and sent him flying back tearing up dirt and straight through a game vendor sending stuffed prizes array like confetti.

The guy groaned and his friend Mike and many onlookers looked around in amazement, fear and surprise. The vendor owner recovered shaking his head and grabbing Mr. Sunglasses by the collar. "I hope you can pay for that buddy." The big circus man said his enormous bicep flexing as he held Mr. Sunglasses up.

"Okay, okay!" Mr. Sunglasses assured his hands waving like sideways fans in compliancy.

Vegeta dropped his hand. "Scum" he walked over to the bench where Bulma sat a slow sarcastic clap emanating from her hands as she stood up to greet his return to her.

"So where do you get off ordering me around mister?" She spied him under a glare of her own.

"You're mine for the evening, remember? That was the deal. I don't want there to be any stipulations." He said. She started her shoulders going back as she dropped her arms like she was about to say something but instead she offered her hand "Well, then you better keep a hold of me! Some guy might just steal me away." She winked.

Vegeta gaped an abrupt 'uh' of stupefaction flashing across his royal face. He stiffly took her hand not really sure why he was allowing it.

"Wow, you're really nervous!" she giggled.

He threw her hand down. "I am not! Why would I be?" his eyes shifted a bit to quickly and he put his hands in his pocket as if for protection.

Bulma looked a little disappointed at his letting go of her hand but she negated those thoughts. She wasn't about to let him win like that. She wasn't falling for him. If anything she felt a grudging respect and duty to help him to understand Earth.

"We should ride some rides!" the blue haired girl said excitedly grabbing a reluctant prince by the hand and pulling him.

CCCC

Meanwhile in a well lit corporation office behind glass windows of a skyscraper glinted in the light of a colorful dawn a man with a face that held itself proudly with a rich elitist pride, smiled with mock demure. He wears an expensive suit sitting at a desk with his feet crossed on the surface of a well polished desk.

He sighs looking at a small pocketbook picture of a girl.

"Bulma Briefs. It has been so long" He said putting the picture in his pant pocket and leaning back in his chair with his hands clasp behind his head. "I'll have to pay you a visit since you're newly single." He scowled as the door to his office opened.

A man with glasses walked in and bowed his respects.

"Sir, there is another saboteur in the company that has failed you. He wishes to be compensated." The man said.

"Blackmail him like the others." The man said as he stood up from his desk waving his hand dismissively and striding around to the front of the desk and leaned against it.

"Yes, sir." He bowed again and left quietly.

The man's proud face was marred by a look of angry disappointment.

"Capsule corporation will see me stomp them out into submission if it's the last thing I do." He growled and clenched his fist in his pocket crushing the picture. His eyes widened and he brought his hand out slowly he opened it to reveal its compromised contents. He looked sorry for a moment but smirked revealing a fanglike smile.

"Ends justify the means, as they say." He took the picture haphazardly and threw it in the trash. He had work to do.


	7. Chapter 7

Manners Please!

Over West City delighted screams whirled in the afternoon air over annual fair and cliques of teenagers and families crowded around games and rides.

Bulma grimaced as her sneaker stepped in an ooze of bubble gum but her eyes lit up as she saw a small booth flashing a sign for the sale of funnel cakes. "We have to get a funnel cake. I love those things, even if they are incredibly fattening, they are amazing!" Bulma said her eyes lit up when she saw the bright lights advertising the sweet treat she loved.

She looked over and saw Vegeta looking around at the groups of families and balloons floating by in the small hands of children like he was ironically on an alien planet. Bulma reached out and tapped Vegeta's shoulder and he rolled his eyes but followed her to the vendor where a teenage girl at the window peeked out.

"What do you need miss?" the girl asked

"Two funnel cakes please!" Bulma said

Vegeta who had endured the rides with his lips pressed tightly together and his arms crossed tight to his chest, perked up.

"Two?" He said.

"What? You have to try them they're delicious." She said leaning her head forward as if that would convince him. He looked into the stall at the frying treat.

"Looks like Aralian guts." He said.

"Ew! That's gross…wait what's is an Arailian?" she said a her look of disgust turning to curiosity.

He put his hands in his pockets thinking about when he and Nappa had visited the bug planet, the poor saps though they had liberated them.

"I don't like that look on your face Vegeta." She said.

"What? It's nothing, get out of my head." He said dismissively as he kicked a dirty foam cup with his tennis shoe. A toddler picked it up and started chewing on it, Vegeta looked at the earthling boy with his lip curled in disgust his hands upraised in horror.

"Children are so disgusting." He said.

"Heaven forbid you ever have any kids." Bulma rolled her eyes and took two paper plates from the girl at the window and handed her the zenis from her shorts jean pocket.

"Over there let's sit down." She motioned toward a group of crowded picnic tables. Bulma greeted a couple sitting at the only table that wasn't full.

"Hey guys! Looks like we'll be table buddies." She smiled cheerily and watched them stand up the girl flipped her black hair and grabbed the crook of the mans elbow.

"Let's go somewhere less crowded babe." She said, the man smirked as they turned away.

"Well, fine then." Bulma huffed and sat down placing the plates down on the table.

"I guess it's not too dirty considering the pigs sitting at it." She said as she upturned her nose.

Vegeta sat across from her.

"Do I really have to eat this stuff? I think I prefer bug guts." he said

"Don't be such a brat, here" She held the powdery treat in front of his nose as she practically climbed across the table.

"No thank you." He said testily holding a hand up to his face as if to shoo away a fly.

"Don't be such a_ baby_, you have to try it." She insisted.

"I—gack!" he choked as she took his open mouth as an opportunity to shove the morsel in his mouth. He slammed a fist into his chest and dislodged the piece of funnel cake in a nasty blob stumbling back away from the bench seat. He looked at her dazedly.

"Sorry! Sorry!" she said as she came around behind him and put her hand on his hunched over back.

"Are… you trying to kill me!" he said as he shook a fist at her.

"No, but I might." A red faced and very tall, and very angry man with a bit of funnel cake powdered sugar on his face said as he starred down a considerably shorter Saiyan.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes in amusement and rolled his dark pupils dismissively up and down the big man, as he smacked his lips together a look of contemplation had come over his face. This was not the reaction that they man had been looking for bared his teeth.

"You should of apologized!" he raised his fist backward and was about to attempt to unleash his rage on the pompous prince but a blue haired visage appeared in his way surprising the two men.

"Stop being a jerk! He was choking, it was my fault! If you want to beat someone" she pointed a thumb at herself "Then it should be me, but you'd better not hit a lady." She crossed her arms as she moved her shoulders back and forth in a cocky manner and stared him down.

The guy seemed to consider this not breaking eye contact but he dropped his fist just as a blonde woman walked between Bulma and the guy.

"Ahem. If your done here you have a son and a wife who would love to go to the car and get home since it's getting late for a certain little toddler." The blonde said giving him a sour look. He chuckled and waved at Bulma and Vegeta.

"It's no big deal, no worries guys he, he, he." He blushed and sauntered off with his woman over to their table where he picked up a tired little boy and they went on their way.

Vegeta and Bulma just stared a moment and the Saiyan cleared his throat.

"If it means that much to you…" He sat back down in front of the funnel cake and grabbed the treat and started eating in silence.

Bulma smiled. Vegeta ate the treat with what Bulma decided was at least a small amount of enjoyment.

The blue haired woman remained silent and seemed afraid to shatter the moment. He had almost finished the funnel cake when she finally said something.

"So tell me about Aralia." She prompted.

Vegeta almost choked again.

"Um, it's not that great of a story." Vegeta said as he raised the last piece of funnel cake to his mouth and devoured it.

"You want more?" Bulma asked pushing her unfinished plate to him. He took the plate and finished it off.

"Well?" she continued steepling her hands in interest.

"I would rather not talk about this." He smacked his hands together to try and get the powder off his hands and he stood up and started to walk away.

Bulma jumped up and walked beside him and looked at him with what seemed a look of engrossed study. Vegeta gave her a cock eyed look.

"What is it?" he said dragging out the't' like it was almost a painful to drag its syllable between his teeth.

"You really are cute! If you'd stop scowling you might even be handsome." She said

"I'm not cute! Warriors are not cute. And this is my normal face, so deal with it." he snapped.

"You're too easy." She smiled at him.

Vegeta looked at her wondering why she always did that to him, getting him all worked up for her own amusement it seemed.

Vegeta looked away ahead of him at what was the last couple rides at the fair a round tumbling device with what looked like metal cages and then one with slowly rotating benches. "That one looks rather dull…" he paused and shrugged "….well more dull" He said referring to the latter as he turned to Bulma who always seemed to pay attention when he would speak, but he was irritated to find that she was otherwise engrossed, in what appeared to be a desperate disaster for the woman.

Bulma had noticed that her hair was frizzing a little in the humidity and was running thin manicured hands through her locks trying to fix her style, her face glued to a compact mirror trying to tame the emerging blue curls.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"What's wrong with you? You're always looking at your reflection like you hope it will change or something" he pointed a finger at her face stiffly.

She pushed the finger away and scowled at him.

"What's wrong with you? Didn't anybody teach you it's rude to point?" she flailed her arms around her head like she was going mad.

"No." he replied shortly.

"Ohhh!" she rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the her eyes rolling skyward in resignation.

"I'll never understand the woman species." He shook his head.

"Well, I guess we'll just ride the ferries wheel then." She sighed crossing her arms looking at the circular ride up ahead. She glanced at the monstrosity beside it, something that looked like metal cages on outstretched claws that spun around horizontally and around quickly.

"Screaming Scrambler…" she mumbled but she had been on that ride a long time ago. That exact one? No, Bulma wouldn't believe that old fossil would be in commission still, but it looked like it did back when she was around twelve or so…yes it was around that time; the ride had been very unpleasant, she would rather ride the Ferris wheel any day, even if it was dull especially by her standards, it was kind of alluring in a relaxing way, and boy did Vegeta need to relax; on the other hand he might just make it unbearable he seemed to be getting in that mood where he wouldn't even talk to her at all.

She frowned remembering why he had agreed to this excursion at all…after this she had promised to leave him alone for six weeks- he could just go home and train and act all sour again. She creased her brow at the thought of not bothering the Saiyan for that long of a time, and she remembered how he had pretended that he wasn't lonely, but she knew, and even though he acted like she was a big annoyance she knew behind that pride that maybe there was a person that did need someone to talk to.

"So what do you think so far?" she smiled at him.

"Ha, a waste of time." he said. Suddenly, she was right in his face an accusing finger pointed right between his eyes only a breadth away. He duly noted her hypocrisy about pointing, but she did not give him a chance to voice it.

"Oh don't be a downer!" She paused looking at him with wide blue eyes. He said nothing to her she harrumphed and turned away from him a bit.

Vegeta glared at her. This woman acted like he needed to laugh and play and be like a stupid earthling well he had just about enough of this.

"I think we should head back now I need that rest you're always bugging me to get." he grunted as he turned away striding off.

Bulma's eyes widened "You come right back." She stomped her foot and creased her brows and stiffened her shoulders.

He stopped and looked over his shoulder at her.

"We had a deal remember? Can't you at least pretend to have fun?" she put her hands on her hips.

"Of course." He said letting out a huff. They both got in the line for the Ferris wheel a silence lingered around them like suspended static. They were quite far back in line Bulma thought because the line seemed very far from the Ferris wheels gates.

Bulma cocked her head to the side a bit. Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to ride the Ferris wheel it was kind of a romantic ride, totally not his thing. She looked over at Vegeta who stood next to her. She had to admit he was cute…well handsome. His hair made him a little…exotic? She giggled suddenly at realizing her thoughts.

"What?" Vegeta said gruffly.

"Nothing." She smiled a large metallic clang snapped them to frontal attention the ride manager had opened the gate.

"Your turn." He said motioning them in and opening the door to the metallic ball. Bulma did a quick flick of her head to Vegeta "Wait. This isn't the right ride." She blanked and looked at the ride guy. She had been completely absorbed and not realized that he was getting in this rides line.

"What? Of course it's the right ride." Vegeta said.

"No, I want to ride the ferris wheel." She pointed to the ride still up ahead.

"No way." He said moving toward the caged pod.

The ride guy rolled his eyes at Bulma who still hadn't moved forward he tilted his bald head. "Are you getting on or what? There's a lot of people" he sighed.

Bulma looked behind her at the line of about twenty or so people "There's not that many" she raised an eyebrow. She looked to Vegeta but was surprised to find him pushing her forward by walking forward and cutting her off he motioned with his hands for her to move toward the round caged ride.

"No! I'm not getting on this ride" she screeched, but Vegeta smirked. Now, he thought this was fun.

"Hurry up! You heard the man" Vegeta said and sat down in the metal cage of steel followed by a stumbling Bulma who sat down beside the Saiyan. The big ride operator leaned forward and pulled the buckle harness down over their shoulders and the waist straps and clicked them in place.

"Keepin' her in line eh?" The ride guy said as he smirked and put his hand on the door to slam it shut.

"Yeah." Vegeta said dismissively as he crossed his arms. The ride guy almost laughed and Bulma cringed about to retort when the ride guy saluted and slammed the cage door shut and locked the mechanism.

The ride operator chuckled and pulled the lever making the contraption lurch forward.

Bulma sprung into action emphatically shaking her head "We're on the wrong ride Vegeta! I hate this ride! I can't be in this small of a space! I can't be, I can't be!" Bulma forgot her place and her dignity and began to pulling at Vegeta's pink shirt sleeve.

"What? Are you kidding me?" he said pulling his shoulder away from her grasping hands and looked at the hysteric Bulma with a squinted eye. Surly she was not serious about this. Finally he took her by the shoulders.

"Just try to have a little fun." He smirked.

"What! You jerk!" She said as she started pounding on his chest, but she noticed him letting go of her and just smiled.

"Now I'm having fun. Isn't that what you wanted?" he chuckled a little.

Why did he have to laugh at her expense! What a cruel man! Bulma thought, her face stopped in a state of distress and teary eyes as she looked at his pleased expression.

Bulma sniffed that stupid ride operator knew that she wanted off it had been obvious. Vegeta stiffened a bit at seeing the earth woman tearing up but he just looked away like he was unconcerned.

Well fine Bulma thought she would just have to tough it out! She remembered the last time she had been on this ride…it had been horrible. It had made her throw up, and that was totally bad for her image!

Well, whatever. She looked in front of her at the light that was a frowny face imprinted in black in its red color brightly lit, and there was another light beside it that was a smiley face and it was green it had a crack in it though. Bulma made a mental note to design better rides; this design was archaic at best. It was a measly seatbelt harness! The padding around the top of the circular terror spear was worn too. She couldn't bruise her body like this! How was this legal? She thought of how any lawyer could have a field day with this ride; it must be the only one in the entire park that hadn't been updated.

Suddenly the ride lurched and the pod wiggled and screeched as metal rubbed together, another rider being loaded. She gripped the first thing her hand came in contact with to steady herself.

"Excuse me." A strained voice of Vegeta said causing Bulma to look down at what she had grabbed which turned out to be Vegeta's thigh. She squeaked throwing her hand off of his person. He had looked away quickly as a blush crept onto his cheeks.

"Uh it was so hard." She said and on realizing what she had said she giggled. Vegeta who had been trying to hide his face flicked his eyes back to look at her upon hearing her laugh. Was she laughing at him? He thought narrowing his eyes at her.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She said as she slapped her thigh in mirth.

"What are you laughing at?" he hissed. This only made Bulma renew her laughter. The ride had lurched again which sobered Bulma again. Vegeta crossed his arms even tighter.

"What? It was funny—" She said as he cut her off.

"What. Ever." Vegeta said gruffly looking into the steel entrapping along what reminded him a little of his space pod he had traveled in before, except comparatively speaking Vegeta would consider the pods luxurious.

"Are you blushing?" Bulma lowered her eyelids in interest and leaned forward toward the prince.

"I am not!" he glowered at her his blush deepened with anger. Bulma was about to say something but she was interrupted by a beep and the green light clicked on brightly in the metal containers ceiling.

Bulma held her stomach and screamed as the ride started whirling around in a circle, and she renewed her scream as the pod flipped upside down pushing her thighs against the belt and burning through her favorite red blouses shoulder.

"Stop that infernal—" Vegeta was about to say screaming as Bulma tired of being thrown around like a rag doll rapidly flailed toward him. She wrapped her body completely around Vegeta's body. Even her legs were wrapped tightly around his one leg like some kind of judo hold. The Saiyan warrior went immediately silent and still.

The ride was screeching with a metallic plea and the other earthlings on the ride including Bulma were screaming at the top of their lungs, but Vegeta was in a state where everything around him was silent and he as if in slow motion moved his head to look at Bulma who had her arms around his neck and her head pressed against his chest.

Like a trapped prey in front of a venomous snake Vegeta's face was one of utter pause, and he worked his mouth but could not get anything to come out and he could feel the searing heat of a renewed and deeper blush.

Bulma meanwhile her heart kept leaping down into her cranium as they went upside down. She felt sweat coming down her forehead. This was just as she feared! She was going to look like a wreck after this. Vegeta was going to laugh at her in that satisfied way he seemed to do whenever she made herself look foolish in front of him Bulma thought. She came back to a state of mental acuity quite quickly when she thought of Vegeta.

Her eyes went bigger first and she craned her neck a bit to look up as she became aware that she was very up close with Vegeta, too close. Just before she was about to let go the ride went topsy turvy again and she renewed her grip. Vegeta groaned in annoyance a bit as she tightened herself against him.

Had she no shame at all? He thought as he breathed a puff of hot air and feeling a small sweat break out under his collar. He pursed his lips and looked up at the ceiling at the earth graffiti he couldn't read it but they were different obscenities and proclamations of love.

"Dammit. Woman. Get. Off!" he pushed at her with a little too much strength because the belt buckle snapped right off of them.

"YOU IDIOT!" Bulma shrieked. Vegeta reacted fast and grabbed her in midair pulled her by her arm to him, and hugged her to his body. Bulma went into shock mode as she was suddenly pressed closely to the Saiyan. The ride went upside down and Vegeta turned and took the top of the cage to the back of his body and Bulma just pressed against him firmly under his forearm.

At least she stopped screaming Vegeta thought. He raised a charged fist "I'm getting us out of here." Just as he finished saying that and was about to take action the ride stopped they fell back to the bottom of the pod and Vegeta didn't turn and Bulma landed under him, his forearm protected her head from the floor. They just looked at each other as the ride swung limply from side to side; leaving Bulma and Vegeta in a compromising situation without the distractions of the whirling ride.

"I think I can move now." Vegeta said his voice strained.

"Okay." Bulma said quickly.

"I—"he started but just then the pod moved forward making Bulma squeak and grab him with renewed fervor.

"Seriously! Stop hanging on me the ride stopped—" he was interrupted by the door as it slammed open and the bald ride operator looked in at them an eyebrow raised. Both looked like wide eyed children caught in the act.

"Okay kids that's enough get out." He shook his head and then cocked it to the side as he noticed the seatbelt first he was surprised that they weren't hurt then a face of irritation came over his face and he pointed toward the damaged seatbelts.

"You gonna pay for that?" he said.

"Probably." Vegeta mumbled.

Bulma had recovered from her harrowing experience stood up with renewed if not slightly frazzled and ill rage.

"YOU!" she stumbled using Vegeta shoulder for support as she moved out of the steel case.

"You, are lucky that I do not sue this whole damn place mister!" she was about to fill him in on what else but she paled and put a hand on her mouth then she ran off.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow at the ride guy and followed Bulma.

When he found her she was sitting by a trash can and looked like death.

"I don't think I can move." She moaned her arms lying in her lap guarding her stomach. Vegeta just stared at her and she looked at her watch the digital face changed before her eyes its green numerals shining a bright 8:30 P.M. in her pallid face. She threw her head back in submission. "We should head back…I don't think I'm up for dinner at this point."

"Good." Vegeta said. As she heard him say this she groaned in a combination of pure agitation, rage, and just sickness.

"Well…okay then." She pulled the words heavily from her turning gut. Vegeta seemed to have come to a decision.

"I could carry you…so we can get there faster. You will hold us back in your condition." He added as if it explained everything.

Bulma grinned demurely of course he was thinking like this, always strategy and in terms of battle she thought.

"Please." She said in a way of surrender.

Vegeta walked forward and put his hand under her knees and her back. They locked eyes a moment but Vegeta looked away. Bulma made him jump in surprise as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

She smiled a little as she felt a little bit better. She hadn't realized how much her feet had hurt.

"Thank you." She said looking him straight into his eyes.

When he didn't say anything she just relaxed in his arms and she thought it felt pretty nice there. He really couldn't be as bad as he was back when he was one of the bad guys, he must have changed a lot. She wanted to believe that he was different now. She remembered suddenly when he had been the most vulnerable that time in the bathroom and she mentally slapped herself for almost bringing that up. Looking at the prideful man before her with his shoulders stanch and his face upturned it was hard to see he had weakness. Bulma knew that what everyone saw as his pompous exterior, but she saw a strong man too. He was a jerk at times but Bulma was certain that he was a man of honor…a great man. If only he would loosen up that bravado and develop some kind of happiness.

"Can we stop and get me a pop from the vending machine?" she said pointing toward the glowing pedestals glowing in the fading sunlight under a small roof and two benches.

He nodded taking them over and setting her down on her feet as she pulled a couple zenis from her pocket and inserted the paper bills into the slot and made her selections a soft drink and a bottle of water. She sighed and looked at Vegeta who looked as impatient as ever.

"Do you want anything?" She said.

"I'm fine." He said as the wind rustled through his tall spiky hair and trash skittered around their feet a bag of chips skittered away around and whirled to the sky grabbing Bulma's eyes and she looked up and saw the stars speckling the sky like glitter tossed on a dark blue faded canvas.

"So beautiful." She said before she turned to her soda and popped its top and putting the water bottle down on the bench she took a sip and she sat down at an ebony metal bench by the drink machines under the small shelter. She shivered at the cold steel on her legs.

Vegeta looked up at the stars with a cynical eye. He did not think anything in this universe was beautiful. All it did was exist to him…there was nothing but pursuit of power, but something in his mind ticked to a side of his brain that he had not considered lately. He had been so intent on beating Kakkarot and become a super Saiyan to regain his honor but this moment of solace of all the moments he was thinking of what he would do after he had defeated Kakkarot. He looked at Bulma's content face on the bench.

"Why don' t you have a seat? " she tapped the empty space on the bench and sipped at her soda again.

"Very well, but it's getting late." He walked over to her and sat down stiffly. Bulma had natural tinge in her face once again, and was feeling much better now.

She held the water out to him. He took it and wrenched the neck and took a long swig.

Bulma watched with a bemused look her mouth twisted in a sort of half smile.

Vegeta didn't notice her and was shifting through his thoughts. He had thought of nothing when he was a child other than to become strong and defeat every one of his enemies; he had always thought death would be better than defeat, and now here he was alone on this puny planet with the last of his race a low level nobody…that had managed to surpass him, he who was an elite among elites.

A hand. He felt the softness of it like a razor on bare skin he looked at the hand that was on his shoulder Bulma was looking at him with a concerned look her touch sent a wave of irritation on the now disturbed Saiyan.

"What's wrong?" she tilted her still frazzled head of hair. Vegeta wanted to just snap then ,to break her, but something about the way she was always looking at him and the way he suddenly y thought of her now; as a companion she had helped him, and worse she had seen him vulnerable and made him tell her things about himself; for some reason she made him care what she thought that sometimes he wouldn't tell her things he had done. This made him dam his agitated outburst and he just turned away.

"We need to get home." He stopped as he realized what he had said, he had called that place home.

Bulma didn't seem to be aware of this but she did pick up on the fact that Vegeta was bothered and she had concern weaved into her features and she became docile in an attempt to relieve the atmosphere.

"Lets go." He came around her and picked her up again and flew Bulma flailed and grabbed his shirt and practically climbed her hands up around his neck.

"Some warning would have been nice!" she grasped tighter.

He landed at the hover car he propped Bulma up onto her feet and she felt her hair and tried in futility to tame its crazed assent. A few people around them gasped and whispered among themselves at the couple. The parking lot had begun to empty now as people headed home with crying children and tired knees and feet.

Before Bulma could process the thought of another step toward the car Vegeta hand flown over the car and landed and buckled in a swift motion.

"Let's go." He said with a hint of that demeaning princely air.

"Yes, your highness" she mumbled. She realized she wasn't in the mood for dinner much less to make him go with her. She opened the door and sat down with a tired body aching for a shower, and to brush her teeth. She started the hover car and backed up, rapidly speeding toward the road.

Vegeta had his mind set on training now, as long as the woman kept up her side of the deal. He smirked a little and looked over at Bulma now focused at the wheel.

"Outta the way idiot! We have places to go!" she flipped the other motorist off, who was an old man and his dog that just shook their heads at the obscene girl fly past them.

There's no way this woman could keep her part of the bargain. He frowned a bit at this thought. The woman turned briefly at that moment.

"What a dope huh? He should go at least the speed limit" she looked back to the road and Vegeta stuttered in his mind a moment at the feeling that her smile sent through him. He shook his head.

"Nothing" he said.

"What?" Bulma asked.

"Nothing!" he said crossing his arm and raising an irked eyebrow.

"Okay, okay calm down no need to go all crazy!" she swerved suddenly flooring Vegeta's back against the seat.

"Me? How about you drive this vehicle less –"he gulped as she suddenly braked at a stop light jerking him against the seatbelt.

He was going to appreciate being left alone for those six weeks, or so he thought.


	8. Chapter 8

Tap, tap,tap… tap, tap, tap. Bulma was tapping the side of her coffee cup deep in thought between hot sips and taps she would breathe in and sigh then go back to tapping and sipping.

Slam!

Vegeta looked across the table eyes narrowed at the female before him. He then proceeded with his tirade abusing the floor with his stomping feet and when he came to the automatic door, pushed the it along causing it to shriek and spark in protest.

Bulma stood up so fast her thighs rammed into the table and almost knocked the cup over.

"Sheesh, what an attitude" she glared at the door where he had passed through "Another thing I have to fix, ugh!" she left her unfinished coffee cup on the table and headed for her lab.

For three weeks he had been like this, grumpier than ever, and if Bulma didn't know any better she would think it was because of the deal they had made. She put the pass code on the number pad by the metal door it beeped with acceptance and she walked in flipped the switch on and breathed deeply looking at her vast lab; blinking sorts of colored lights and a pile of boxes in the corner on what usually was her chemical lab table. Bulma wasn't really a fan of working with chemicals though so she mostly used the table for boxes of unfinished tech and parts new and used.

She had to admit she was kind of bored not bothering Vegeta all the time. She tilted her head as she sat back down in front of her computer. She just couldn't type right now she was just too distracted. It seemed to be one of those days.

But she had to work. Well, she could clean out her trinkets, sort screws; the kind of work that didn't require brain power but mind numbing repetition.

She walked over to piles of boxes she went to work.

Bulma was covered in dirt and grease from the many parts she had opened and sorted and scraped so when she had one box left she was definitely pining for a shower. When she opened the top of a white medium sized box and looked in at its contents with a look of wonderment.

"Wow! I can't believe this is still here, I thought I had left it at Master Roshi's." she picked up the scouter that had exploded on her head those many years ago…when Vegeta had first come to Earth.

"I need your help."

"Ah!" Bulma screamed and tossed the scouter in the air and watched as it skittered toward the shoes of Vegeta who stood in the door way.

He considered the piece for a moment then bent down to pick it up and looked at it curiously.

"What are you doing with this?" he asked rolling the piece in his hands.

"What are you doing here, and talking to me? You almost gave me a heart attack you brute." Bulma breathed picking up the box lid that had flown behind her on the floor , she placed it back on the box a look of disgust on her face.

"Don't you listen? I need your help—like I said" he said, like she was an idiot.

She clenched her teeth and got right up in his face, and took the scouter he was holding too.

"That's not the attitude of someone who is asking for a favor!" she folded her arms and looked away "Besides I thought we had a deal. Go ask my dad." She turned with a flippant hand as she strutted back toward her box and placed the scouter down by the box and proceeded to remove the other contents of screws and parts, but she was very curious about him asking her for help that certainly was not like this guy. He would be the last to ask for help.

Vegeta towered beside the woman suddenly surprising her with his persistence she would of thought he would just storm off.

"We never agreed that I wouldn't talk to you! Besides this is important, and I can't find your father…he seems to have left, him and that brainless woman." He looked around Bulma's lab noting the large computer to the left with curiosity, so this is how she spent her time?

"Hey mister! Don't you talk about my mom that way! I don't care how strong you are I'll knock your block off!" she made a fist at the Saiyan.

"You're missing the point. I want you to fix the system in the gravity capsule"

Bulma growled now "What's wrong with my system? Or more likely, what did you do to it?" she said with agitation her hands resting tightly on her hips.

"It's too easy." He walked over to the computer and looked at it.

"Don't touch that!" Bulma put herself between him and her precious technology, and put a hand on his chest to hold him at bay. He jumped back away from her hand making Bulma look at him with surprise.

"I have work to do, so if you'll leave—"she said rolling her eyes at the Saiyans compliant.

Vegeta was getting annoyed now he knew he didn't have the power he once had, but he couldn't let this woman just ignore him like he was some pesky insect.

"Would you listen for one second you stupid woman." He was starting to get angry now.

Bulma could see that she was making the Saiyan prince angry and she paused for a moment. He wasn't as evil as he made himself out to be she had always thought but she couldn't help but get a little uneasy when his face was making that expression.

He had two fists clenched at his side, but slowly he unraveled them and looked up at the blue haired woman.

"Would you please help me?" he said clearly but his face showed that it pained him.

"Well." She said a bit bemused. "What happened to the Princely brat I used to know? We have manners now huh?"

"Don't push it woman." He growled.

"Hahaha! Yeah, okay." She said and looked him up and down.

"I'll make it harder. I can do that." She put her hands on her hips. She was actually really happy about this. Life had been really boring and this had inspired her.

"And about the deal we made…I think it would be best to forget about it—since we may have to communicate sometimes" he added that last part quickly holding his hand up in assurance that he had no other ulterior motives like friendship or anything.

There was a pause.

"How long is this going to take?" he asked finally.

"I don't know." She shrugged. Bulma looked over at the phone on the wall behind Vegeta and noticed it was flashing.

"Hmm looks like someone left a message" she clicked the red play button.

"This is Makoto Sakamoto." At the name Bulma perked up and raised an eyebrow. "…I hope that you would consider returning my call." The digital screen flashed his number and Bulma quickly pressed the yellow erase button.

"Yeah, right dream on Mr. Sakamoto" she said as if it was the biggest joke.

"Who is this man?" Vegeta asked narrowing his eyes.

"Trouble." She threw her hands up in the air.

"What is that supposed to mean?" he inquired gruffly.

"He's a guy with a big company and a big ego to match, if not bigger." She explained looking at the computer now and started typing on the keyboard. A picture came up of a rather handsome young man with a sidelong smirk on his face.

"We used to be friends, and well we dated a couple times too." She shrugged.

"What's "dated"?" he asked looking over her shoulder.

"It's like…courtship?" she examined his face for understanding.

He scoffed.

"I thought you and that weakling were mates."

She twitched in annoyance.

"You can date more than one person you know. It's not like you're married or something! Gosh, and you call me stupid." She looked at him haughtily.

Vegeta gaped in offense. "You've got to be kidding me. I don't even care." He said.

"Then don't ask you jerk." She looked back at the screen.

"He was so good looking it's a shame." She shook her head.

"What you still want to be "courting" him?" he asked

"I thought you weren't interested?" she said smugly powering down the machine. "Well, whatever, if he thinks I'm going to call him he is so mistaken." She turned to the Saiyan and winked at him. He looked at her like she was weird and she walked by.

"I don't know what you're going to go do, but I'm going to shower up and get something to eat" she sniffed the air and waved a hand. "You should too." She added.

"Fine." He said following her.


	9. Chapter 9

The pitter patter of water sounded in the Vegeta's ears as he closed his eyes in the stream of hot water the poured over his face.

He stood under the water in the shower wondering why he just couldn't quite stop thinking about that woman. She was always so interested in him and curious and even concerned even after everything he had done, and it wasn't only that, he was starting to wonder why he couldn't stay away from her. Talking to her wasn't easy but it was something that made him feel not so alone.

He got out of the shower and dried off and rolled his neck from side to side making it pop loudly. He pulled the towel around to his head and shook it around his hair to dry it.

"Hmm. What has come over me?" he walked to the bathroom mirror and wiped off the steam with his towel, and looked at himself as he put the towel around his waist.

"Does she really think I'm handsome?" he said remembering what she had said at the fair and he held his chin turning his face in the mirror examining it from different angles. "If I would smile?" he smiled an awkward fanged grin and immediately replaced it with a face of disgust "Ugh, I don't think so"

Vegeta went back to the kitchen opening the fridge to find something to eat.

"What do you want?" Bulma chimed as she skipped in with a towel around her head wearing a simple red mini dress with yellow leather strapped sandals.

"I don't care." He said grabbing a pickle jar under his elbow and a bag of tomatos in his teeth, mustard, mayonnaise and a bunch of meats from the fridge.

Bulma glared and walked over and started grabbing the stuff from Vegeta.

"What do you think you're doing?" he said through his teeth that were still clenched around the bag of tomatos.

"I'm going to make us something. So…" she put the condiments and pickles back and turned to Vegeta who looked a bit feral with the tomato's in his teeth. She reached for those and he turned away grabbing them out and putting them back in the fridge door none too gently.

"Now ,what do you want?" she asked.

"Something to eat." He said crossing his arms

"Well duh. What do you want?" she smiled sweetly.

"I don't care." He said again throwing his hands in the air.

Bulma looked at him with a side long smirk.

"Is that so?" she was starting to get an air of abject annoyance.

She opened her mouth but just then the automatic door slid open and Yamcha skipped in.

"Hello Bulma!" he said enthusiastically and he simply nodded at Vegeta who returned only a glare. Vegeta had decided he didn't much like that man.

"Oh why hello Yamcha!" Bulma said layering her words with sweetness. "Would you like something to eat?" she added. Vegeta looked at her and then back at Yamcha with growing agitation.

"Why are you here?" the Saiyan asked Yamcha, who simply ignored him and smiled back at Bulma.

"Well of course! I would love something to eat Bulma. How about that lemon chicken of yours?" He scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Of course Yamcha." She looked pointedly at Vegeta before heading over to pull a pan out of the cupboard and she looked over her shoulder at Yamcha. "What do you want for sides?" she asked.

"Hmm how about rice and…" he thought for a moment "Some curry rice?" he glowed at the positive attention he was receiving.

"Of course! Bulma said excitedly waving her hand in assurance as she grabbed a bag of basmati and salt out of the top cupboard.

Vegeta just scowled and looked between them.

"Suddenly it's very crowded in here." he started walking away and his eyes rolled over to Bulma who was firing up the stove for the chicken. "Just come get me when it's done, or don't I don't care." He waved a dismissive hand and went out the door. Bulma didn't even look.

Yamcha watched as Vegeta left and then to Bulma.

"Well, I see he hasn't changed much huh?" he sat down at the table slouching down in the chair with his feet crossed.

Bulma glared at the pan and slammed it on the stove making Yamcha jump.

"Whoa! Bulma, what's the deal?" he looked away "Maybe that attitude of Vegeta's is contagious?" he mumbled to himself.

Bulma put the basmati in a bowl and roughly began tossing the water in the pan to soak and she went to the freezer and grabbed the chicken and buttered the pan with equal force as she pulled the frozen chicken apart.

Yamcha watched with raised eye brows now.

"Uh, maybe I'll come back later too?" Bulma's stiff shoulders relaxed as she turned to him.

"Oh, no! That's okay? I'm sorry, where are my manners? How have you been?" she said sweetly again sounding eerily like her mother.

"Uhhhh, I'm okay." He said laughing a bit stiffly.

"Oh? Where's Paur?" she said as she looked around him.

"Oh, at Roshi's. So are you okay now?" he asked sitting up in his chair regarding her with study.

"Of course." She waved off his studious look. She ran a bit of water over the chicken and put it in the oven. She let out a deep breath and walked over to sit down across from Yamcha.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked again leaning in toward her.

"Yeah, I just wish that…I really don't know." she leaned forward resting her chin in her hands and looked toward the door where Vegeta had gone.

"Oh, don't worry about him. If there's anyone you can't make happy it's probably that guy." Yamcha rolled his eyes and rubbed the scar on his check with his pointer finger. "Well, really Bulma how are you? I mean, I just…I've been thinking about you. I'm worried." He said smiling wryly.

Bulma perked up "Worried?" she gave him a wide eyed look.

"Well, that guy" he motioned with his head "I still don't trust him. I don't know, he did kind of kill me and all." Yamcha said with a nervous chuckle.

"Oh…" she shook her head but she had to admit sometimes she had wondered and still did. But Yamcha didn't know some things that Bulma did. He didn't know about the nightmares that she had seen that man go through when he was hurt. He hadn't seen the tears that the Saiyan had cried when he was borderline comatose. Screaming out in pain for his father and in pure rage at Frieza. She had seen him at his most human, and it seemed to always be on her mind.

Yamcha studied Bulma's face his eyes moving across the very somber expression on her pretty features.

"Bulma?" he inquired.

"You haven't seen him." She whispered as if those thoughts and memories she had tried to keep in were slowly springing from her like a hot pressure valve being released. She hadn't been able to talk to anyone and Yamcha; she still felt close to him.

She looked up her eyes wide with feeling.

She didn't realize that Vegeta had come back inside and was behind a wall an unreadable expression on his face.

"He's fragile Yamcha. You have to understand. I've seen him at his most vulnerable, and as tough as he acts he's actually still really hurting. I've seen him cry about his father while he was sleeping and…he didn't know I as there but I've heard him pray for—"

"Shut up!" a deep inherently vehement voice roared from across the room that made Bulma and Yamcha stare in shock at Vegeta who stood fists clenched tightly with a red flush of rage across his face. He breathed heavily his eyes full of a terrifying intent.

"Vegeta." Bulma breathed as she stood up out of her chair looking at him, a fearful feeling going up and down every inch of her body. The room was abuzz with tension. Yamcha was still looking over his shoulder at Vegeta a look of surprise mixing in with fear at the Saiyan. Every noise seemed to be extremely loud the beep as the oven clocked turned the hour seemed like an air horn, the stoves heat even seemed to make a noise.

Everyone turned sharply at the sound of the door opening and Mr. and Mrs. Briefs appeared. The couple looked around at the set up in the room.

"Um, why hello there kids." Mr. Briefs said hesitantly at the expressions looking at him not completely aware of the situation as he sat down a bunch of shopping bags on the counter.

Mrs. Briefs with equal if not more apparent ignorance stepped in with arms full of shopping bags happily skipped up to her daughter.

"I got the cutest shoes Bulma dear!" she looked over at the basmati rice soaking and the oven.

"Oh, are you cooking dinner?" she chirped .

Bulma had an expression like she was going to throw up looked over at her mother.

"Could you finish mom? I think I'm just going to go to bed." She said her voice shaking a bit and she kept her head bent to not look where she still felt Vegeta's stare.

"Are you sick sweetie?" Dr. Briefs said as he rolled his cigarette under his gray mustache.

"Oh sweetie!" Mrs. Briefs cried coming to the girls sided and feeling her forehead. "you do look awfully pale dear." She said holding her face in her hands.

Bulma shook her mom off.

"I'm just going to go to my room okay?" she walked away stiffly her parents looked after her with concerned expressions.

"I'll bring you some soup okay dear?" Mrs. Briefs said turning to the cupboards and looking for some canned soups.

Bulma didn't respond she just walked away and disappeared up the stairs to her bedroom.

Yamcha looked over where he was certain he still felt Vegeta's stare, but he was gone.

"Hey, I'm gonna go talk to Bulma." He said standing up looking over at the Briefs and pushing his chair in he stepped lightly toward the stairs only to be intercepted by a shorter but somehow more imposing visage of Vegeta.

Yamcha tried to ignore the shiver wreak havoc on his spine. Where had he come from?

"Hey. Let me through." Yamcha said his voice only shaking slightly as he swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

Yamcha twitched involuntarily as Vegeta put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll take care of her." He smirked a twitching smirk that seemed to want to break his face, and the hand on Yamcha's shoulder was tightening so it actually started to hurt.

Bulma's parents were starting to look with a bit of concern on their faces for Yamcha and their daughter.

The scarred man did not move as Vegeta turned away from him and removed his hand Yamcha rubbed his shoulder, but jumped in front of the Saiyan.

"I think you need to calm down." He glared and put himself in a fighting position.

Vegeta glared right through the former bandit and walked forward pushing him aside throwing him into the wall in front of the stairs. Stucco and dust flew.

Yamcha sat up painfully his hand on his head came back red with blood a red line streamed down over his right eye where he had been cut.

Vegeta smirked and turned to the stairs and was surprised to find Bulma here eyes wide with concern as she flew down the stairs to Yamcha's side. Mr. Briefs was already at his side.

"Hey! Are you okay!"Bulma held him up and her arms, he looked a little dazed and coughed some drywall dust and shook his head a little more white dust shaking out of his white dusted black hair.

"Mom get the first aid kit." The blue haired woman said stiffly examining Yamcha; the blonde woman nodded and went in the living room and pressed a button with a red cross by it that opened to reveal a first aid kit.

Vegeta watched as Bulma stood the guy he had just thrown into a wall and carefully walked him to the table and sat him down and pulled a chair beside him as the blonde woman placed the first aid kit in front of her daughter.

"Here you go dear." Mrs. Briefs said as she sat the box down Bulma quickly opened the kit pulling out the alcohol and the swabs and dabbing his head. He grimaced a bit looking at Bulma with only one eye opened.

"Thanks." He smiled a small smile.

"It's nothing" she returned wiping the blood carefully from his face with a wet one.

Vegeta lowered his stiffened shoulders and walked away from them toward the door pausing only a moment before leaving out the door and flying away.

CCCC

The Saiyan Prince landed back in front of the Briefs home breathing hard his blue suit and white armor dirtied and bloodied.

"Vegeta." A gentle voice said as Bulma appeared from the darkness of a tree she had been leaning against she stopped just short of the lights that glowed from the patio's front door. He stepped back as he turned to face her. She looked haggard her hair a mess and her mascara uncharacteristically smeared. He looked away again.

There was a pause as the wind rustled through the yard trees whispering through the silence between them.

"Whatever you're thinking woman—" he started

"I'm sorry" she said interrupting him and stepping closer to him.

He still didn't face her but his shoulders slumped.

"It doesn't matter." He said.

"No, it matters." She said

"No. It doesn't stupid woman. It's nothing." He said

"Vegeta…" her voice shook as she moved closer to his stiff unmoving form.

"Leave me alone would you?" he started to walk away but as soft hand on his shoulder stopped him. Now he turned around.

"I didn't mean to hurt you." She said

He stepped back from her pulling her hand off.

"You didn't hurt me." He sneered raising an eyebrow.

Bulma looked away a moment her eyes squinting trying to hold back.

"Please at the very least. Accept my apology?" she held her arm with her hand looking at him with moist eyes now reflecting in the beams of light from the patio lights.

He examined her down his nose.

"Fine." And he stomped off toward the house.

Bulma started to breathe quickly her chest heaving.

"Wait!" she cried, he wasn't going to stop.

She ran in front of him; he barely stopped he was now so close Bulma had to back away almost running into the automatic doors that swished open startling her. She dug around in her jeans pocket and pulled out a metal box. Vegeta regarded her unmoving.

"I have…I have the plans for your new gravity room." She smiled a mix of sorrow and mostly forced excitement.

He just kept looking at her with that princely cold look. She swallowed.

"I worked really hard." She said

He said nothing.

She held the metal box with the gravity room designs up to her chest.

"Do you want to see them?" she held them out.

The prince looked down at her before flicking his wrist slamming it into the box and sending it skidding along the patio stones and she watched as it landed in the grass. He did not break his stare from past her head to the doors that opened and closed again with the movement and proximity of the two bodies.

Any other day Bulma would be angry but she felt so guilty now for what she had said. Something that she knew he had considered private. And she had shared it with Yamcha, and he was hurting now, and Bulma just wanted him to stop hating her she just wanted it to be okay.

He tried to push past her but she put herself fully in front of him down and held his arms he tried to shake her off but she held him.

"What can I do? I'll do anything. Please just stop being so angry with me." She tightened her hand on his arms.

He leaned forward so their eyes were level with each other.

"I'm not angry with you." He said flatly.

Bulma's bottom lip shivered.

"Yes you are." She said hoarsely her throat feeling tight and pained.

He straightened up looking over to where the plans had fallen.

"Shouldn't you get that thing you dropped?" he pushed her off and walked away leaving her.


	10. Chapter 10

Bulma was curled up in the fetal position on her side stripped down to her underwear and bra. She stared lazily at the wall and blew at a blue strand of hair that fell into her face.

She kept going over her mistake again and again despite efforts to ignore it ever happening. She tried to push the guilt down by imagining what she could have done; what she could have said to him, and what she should not have said. She let out an irritated huff and rolled onto her other side.

"It's not like I did something unforgivable." She made an angry face at an imaginary Vegeta in her mind "he didn't have to treat me like that." She sniffed and rolled onto her back grabbing her pillow and she hugged it to her chest.

She could not stand how guilty she felt, it had seemed like such a small and natural thing to talk to Yamcha. But she knew that it was something intimate that she shared, and something that Vegeta did not even really want her to know. She sighed.

Two hours later her head was aching, her neck pained, where she kept sitting up on the head of the bed. She had kept telling herself that it didn't really matter, but she knew better and her conscience was very adamant about not letting her forget, and like some mad form of punishment her mind kept trying to mentally fix the events that had happened; Bulma even entertained the idea of a time machine at some point, and she even thought she may have figured a few things out, but her sleep deprived and guilt ridden brain couldn't really concentrate on anything and she thought it must be a bit of delusion, and a lot of desperation.

Bulma rolled over her pillow onto her belly.

"Ugh! He's so not worth it! I shouldn't feel this bad I mean…" she pouted and realized that did feel that bad, and there was no getting around it. After a couple hours of staring at the ceiling, the wall and rolling around restlessly in her bed her eyes drooped over her irises the blue haired woman could not stay awake any longer.

_Bulma opened her eyes she rolled over and onto her butt and stretched her arms out above her head like she was about to fly._

_She went to talk but she felt like her jaw was glued together. She was about to through her morning routine, but it was as if she fast forwarded to being at the base of the stairs. _

_Quietly like a fuzzy memory a figure appeared before her, the figure got closer until it was clear that it was Vegeta who although he was still fuzzy Bulma could tell he was clad in his Frieza issued armor. Like a clouded mirror wiped clear with a cloth his body became clear. _

_Bulma thought she felt herself squint when finally as he moved toward her, his face clarified along with his body to reveal a snarky snake like grin on his face. Bulma tried to turn away but it was like she was nailed to the floor, and her body ignored any signal from her brain. _

_The prince reached out to grab collar of her red blouse, that she didn't remember putting on, he easily picked her up to his face as he stood up with her in one white gloved hand. He didn't voice one word but a large feral grin curled across his face. _

_Bulma could not move, and she could not fight back as he twisted her small body and tossed her against the wall at the base of the stairs away from him. Her mind rolled back and forth between fear and confusion as she hit the wall crunching plaster and sending swirls of dust around them. She crumpled like a paper doll to the ground._

_She saw Yamcha for a moment beside her and herself by his body, but he flickered and became Vegeta, and instead of a face of pain it was a face leaned back in laughter. The image disappeared as she felt her collar tighten._

"_Don't ignore me!" he tossed her onto her back, down to the floor, Bulma felt the air leave her lungs and she saw him mount her and grab her chin in his hand. Bulma flailed and tried to kick him but her body would not move._

"_Why do you look so scared Bulma?" he whispered in her ear as he was suddenly flush with her body making her gasp. _

_Suddenly shrill beeping came out of his mouth like small sharp tacks on her ear drum._

"_Vegeta_!" Bulma sat up in bed screaming, loudly drawing out his name. Her blankets had been thrown around with her twisting body

The door flew open.

"What in the blazes!" Said a very haggard looking Vegeta in only his hot pants and no shirt looked over at her through the darkness.

He flipped the light switch on quickly before he turned back to her and surveyed the room for danger.

"My God woman what the hell is it?" he said after not being able to find any immediate source of danger.

Bulma was not quite lucid didn't fully realize she was indecent but she did recognize that Vegeta was in her room and she grabbed the beeping alarm by her bed and threw it at him, he ducked it and it hit the dresser mirror behind him leaving a shattered crater.

"What the hell is your problem you stupid idiot!" He shook a fist at her and turned to leave he stopped a moment when he heard her speak.

"Dream…" she breathed before redirecting a glaring gaze at Vegeta "How dare you! Get out of my room!" she held up a fist at him.

"Crazy woman" he mumbled before opening and slamming the door behind him.

Bulma blinked a couple times, and breathed a deep breath, and relaxed her tense body a little bit. She scooted on her butt in bed getting up and rolled over and stumbled on over and grabbed her pink silk robe off its hanging place by her personal bathroom. She rolled it's softness around her body, and tied the dainty strings.

"I'm thirsty" she said as she licked her dry lips and ran a hand over her tousled hair.

Vegeta walked into the hallway back toward his room. He shook his head in disgust as he recalled Bulma in her undergarments again. He pinched the blushing bridge of his nose.

He turned as the door to Bulma's room flew open behind him. Bulma pursed her lips at seeing him he stopped as she pointed an accusing finger at him.

"You know mister, you don't just barge into a lady's room like that!" she crossed her arms haughtily.

"You're the one that was screaming my name, if you don't recall" he huffed before he turned away back toward his room.

"Hmph!" Bulma watched as he opened and slammed the door behind him before she turned away to get her drink of water.

Vegeta breathed a deep angry huff of air when he was back in his room.

He looked over at his alarm clock.

"2 a.m. I haven't even slept a wink yet." He mumbled as he flopped down on his bed grabbing hold of his pillow in a hug, as he glared at the time telling device on the nightstand.

"All because that woman had to…" he clenched the pillow tighter. He growled thinking of how childish he was being about this. What did it matter that she told the whole damn world about his nightmares? This made him think of her screams now. He hoped she had a really bad dream, he hoped that she kept having bad dreams. He smirked.

CCCC

The sun shone in on Bulma's bed through the giant garden window by her bed. She rolled over and sat up on the side of the bed.

Bulma didn't really feel like doing anything today. She didn't want to face Vegeta again either especially after that dream that still left an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She shuffled to get and floated through her morning shower, make-up, and dress-up routine slowly. Vegeta was usually up really early and then would come back to breakfast but if her solar clock on the wall above her doorway was right it was nine thirty and two minutes; breakfast was over by now, and her mother and father had mercifully not bothered to stir her because they had some business trip they were going on this weekend with Makoto or Mr. Sakamoto head of Gen Industries. Bulma had clearly expressed she wasn't interested in going with them to see Mr. Sakamoto.

He was always so weird about genetics. She remembered when he had suggested something like they would have beautiful children, and it had really freaked her out...the way he had said it anyway and they were only teenagers then. Bulma shivered, recently her father had begun talking with him, but he had assured her that he wouldn't approve of anything unethical.

Unethical the word echoed in her brain for a moment and her face downturned again and she shook her head. She had made a mistake but she couldn't keep beating herself up like this. She slipped into her fluffy red slippers and went to the door, and noted that the handle felt exceptionally cold this morning.

She walked into the hallway and peered down the stairs and sighed in relief as she noted that Vegeta was not down there at the breakfast table either.

Bulma walked down the stairs just as the phone rang. She went over to the phone and picked it up.

"Hello." She said her voice still thick with the morning scratchiness.

"Bulma?" it was Yamcha a familiar voice. Bulma looked down at her shoes.

"Hey. What's up?" she said dully as she leaned against the wall and eyed the coffee pot longingly.

"I bet you just woke up by the way you sound, and you want coffee huh? Want to go to our old place?" He said.

She perked up a mixed emotion of sadness and happiness crossing her features. She slumped down against the wall even more her knees bending a little more.

"Only if you come get me." She conceded as she pressed her palm against her forehead.

"On my way babe." He said and then the line went dead. She looked around the kitchen everything seemed so gray right now, and so empty. Yamcha seemed to be the only one that cared she existed anymore. She reasoned with herself that, that was a little silly but she still thought it and somewhat believed it.

Bulma watched out the kitchen window. Yamcha should be here in less than twenty minutes, he had always drove too fast she thought to herself as she sipped a cup of coffee. Bulma didn't think you could have too much coffee.

Her face lit up at seeing Yamcha in his flying car land in front of the drive. Despite herself Bulma fixed her hair with her hands a little bit and started to run to the patio door.

Suddenly as if in slow motion the automatic patio doors opened before she could get to them and Vegeta came in like a dark shadow. He grabbed her wrist as she tried to pass him.

"Where are you going?" he asked or rather, he demanded.

Bulma looked scared for a moment then she tried to throw his arm off but it was like trying to move a solid steel grip so she just looked up at him sternly "I'm going out." She bit her bottom lip a little nervously.

"Out?" he prompted her to elaborate. He was obviously still angry.

"I'm going out to get some coffee." She said.

"With…" he looked behind him through the patio door at Yamcha's car that now landed in the drive and the man was honking the horn. He never let go of her arm and he looked back at her "…that guy?" he finished.

"Yeah." She said with a mixture of anger and some fear.

"Where are those plans?" he asked her. He was leaning in toward her making her wince back a bit. She was now starting to realize how bloodshot his eyes were and how tattered his clothes were.

"Let go of me! Then maybe I'll tell you" she said glaring. At first he seemed a little surprised then he let her arm go and laughed out loud. Bulma rubbed her arm with a pained expression.

"Well?" He smirked with what seemed to be a level of joy at the fear that was on Bulma's face, which sent shivers of alarm through the woman which she twitched visibly her pose of fearlessness shaken as he moved in close to her.

She said looking out to see Yamcha had finally jumped out of his car and started toward the door and was waving at her.

She waved back half heartedly.

"Well, I am hungry, maybe we could discuss this over a meal?" Vegeta raised an eyebrow.

"Uhh…" that was the last thing Bulma thought he would say. She didn't have time to answer as Yamcha walked in the patio door clad in a leather jacket jeans and a red shirt.

"Yo, Bulma. You ready to go?" he asked looking her over and noting mentally that she kind of looked like hell, and he sensed some bad energy here and it was coming from Vegeta. He usually wouldn't note that at all and would chalk it up to the guy's bad attitude but it seemed like it was pretty strong right now.

"Hey, Yamcha. C-can Vegeta come?" Bulma asked.

Vegeta stepped forward between the two. "Of course I can come. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go get cleaned up." He stomped off upstairs.

"Well, this isn't going as planned." Yamcha said laughing nervously and looked over at Bulma.

"It's really not that big of a deal. Let's just get in the car and wait for his majesty." She rolled her eyes sarcastically. They both headed outside for the car and they were half way down the walk to the car when Yamcha looked her over.

"You really want Vegeta to come with us?" He said hoping she would somehow stop the guy from coming with them, but she had crossed her arms and was looking forward intently.

Bulma rolled her eyes "No, of course not" she said sarcasm apparent. She crossed in front of him and went and opened the door to the passenger seat and sat down in the topless flying car.

"A day that Bulma Briefs doesn't want to drive, wow." He said as he regarded her with surprise his hand just now opening the driver's seat door. He sat down.

She waved a dismissive hand at his expression and walked over to the other side of the car and got in and buckled.

Yamcha wondered if this had anything to do with yesterday. He watched as Vegeta walked toward the car with a pink shirt and yellow khakis and opened the back door and sat down his arms crossed.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" He said testily.

Yamcha resisted the urge to punch the Saiyan prince and instead started the car sharply and hit the gas and sped off.

It was a long quiet ride.

They parked outside Lyndi's a small café and the two Bulma and Yamcha walked by each other with the dark shadow of Vegeta behind them.

"Did he really have to come?" Yamcha whispered his hand in front of his face.

"I can hear you, you stupid idiot." Vegeta sneered from behind them, Yamcha jumped.

This was not going to be pleasant Yamcha thought.


	11. Chapter 11

Downtown south city at a restaurant called Le Amiche an old couple sat across from a young man moving a wine glass half full and he was twirling it around in a slow mesmerizing circle as he looked expectantly at Mr. Briefs.

"Mr. Sakamoto, I don't see myself being interested in this. My wife and I really would like to get going." Mr. Briefs leaned back in his chair.

Mr. Sakamoto stopped moving his glass and looked like he might be angry for a moment but he laughed instead.

"Of course you haven't changed, even though my company has been the reason for a lot of medical breakthroughs in the last twenty years. My father god rest his soul was a great man."

Mr. Briefs looked over his glasses at the smirking business man. "That's all well and good Makoto" he paused "But I really don't have any interest in any other investments right now."

The man sighed and took a sip of wine. "Well, at the very least come to my party as sort of a conciliation prize, and tell Bulma too…" he leaned forward "But most of all I've heard that you have an interesting character hanging around, an _alien_?" he had his chin practically touching the table cloth now.

Mrs. briefs who had been sipping her wine and thinking about how beautiful the silk drapes were along the windows coughed.

"Oh my dear, are you going to be all right?" Mr. Briefs asked her patting her back.

"Of course I will be." She shooed him and looked down at her blue sequin dress with horror.

"Oh no! My favorite dress, too bad. Looks like I got a little Château Margaux on my dress dear." She sniffed a little. "I'm sure I can get it out at home though" she waved at them to get back to their talk.

The old man looked at Mr. Sakamoto "What was it we were talking about?" he smiled wanly.

"Oh, well I've been hearing rumors, and not from the people you would think, but responsible scientists—that you have an alien living with you, speculation is that it's from the recent happenings the one that involved the destruction of that poor city. Tell me is it true Mr. Briefs!" his eyes were bright with interest.

Mr. Briefs raised an eyebrow "Well, I don't really know what kind of people you've been talking too, but there's no such thing in _my_ house."

Mr. Sakamoto seemed to pout a little bit but he quickly stood up and held out his hand "Well, I hope to see you all at my party, give my regards to Bulma."

"We will!" Mrs. Briefs said cheerily putting her arm out for her husband who took it and gave Mr. Sakamoto a salute.

When they had turned away Mr. Sakamoto all but sneered as he took out his phone.

"Get my car ready." He said it so sharply he had to wipe a bit of spit off his cell.

CCCC

At a small café called Lyndi's two men and a woman were sitting around a small table full of empty dirty plates. Bulma and Yamcha looked at Vegeta who had been stuffing his face.

"Servant woman!" he hollered at a brunette waitress whose shoulders tensed for about the tenth time that morning.

She walked over her teeth clenched in a false smile "Yes…sir?"  
"Bring more eggs, and that…" he motioned with his hand like a wheel.

"Orange juice?" she supplied with none too subtle false sweetness.

"Yes! That! Go, quickly." He flipped one hand and looked back at his tray and forked the last strip of bacon into his mouth.

Bulma and Yamcha with mouths hanging open had scarcely touched their coffee and toast.

Yamcha leaned over to Bulma's ear slowly.

"We had better tip, _really well_" he said to her his eyes earnest and wide.

Bulma shook her head to clear it and to wake herself up out of her stupefaction.

"Vegeta!" people who had already been whispering about them since Vegeta started barking orders when they got in here, turned at hearing her yell, and so she lowered her voice and leaned toward Vegeta.

"Stop acting like a pig!" She whispered sharply.

"I'm hungry, what's your problem?" he turned his head away slightly in a way that she noted he treated his inferiors.

She held up a fist about to start in on him when a tray and a glass of orange juice narrowly missed her nose.

"You're order, sir." The waitress said testily her hand on her hip.

"You may leave." He said.

The waitress let out a disgusted "Ugh!" and turned away.

Bulma seethed. She grabbed Yamcha by the ear and pulled him to her.

"Seething! He actually has me SEETHING!" she spat.

Yamcha winced as she held him by the ear and then rubbed it when she let go.

"Do you have to take it out on me, Bulma?" he winced.

When Vegeta had finished his second tray and orange juice he looked up at the couple.

"We're leaving." He said standing up and motioning for the waitress, who despite being red in the face with anger came and with both hands on her hips looked at the man squarely.

"Sir?" she said hoping for perhaps a word of thanks.

"You should consider yourself lucky today that I'm in a giving mood. You're service was slow, and some of the food was too cold. Improve yourself." He looked down his nose at the petite little waitress whose face turned completely red. She reached over and grabbed Yamcha's still full glass of cappuccino and aptly splashed its contents on Vegeta's now shocked face.

"Why you ungrateful lit—" He was about to grab her when Bulma had him by the ear.

"Yamcha pay them." She said only half turning to the scarred man and then pulling on Vegeta's ear again toward the door. Yamcha chuckled nervously at the waitress who was searing him with her glare.

"Don't worry little lady…ha, ha." He pulled out his wallet. She smirked a bit.

"W…woman let me go!" Vegeta cried as she pulled him through the door everybody watched. When they were outside Vegeta rubbed his ear and glared at his offender.

"How dare you!" he growled.

"Me! How dare…look here mister I have half a mind to—" She was about to curse him down to nothing when Yamcha stepped in through the door between them.

"I think it would be best to end there Bulma. We know how certain people like to blow their top." He motioned with his head and eyes toward Vegeta.

"What's that? You want another scar on that face of yours you pathetic excuse for a warrior, huh?" Vegeta said hotly getting in a well practiced fighting stance.

"What's that pipsqueak!" Yamcha also got into a fighting stance and towered closely over the Saiyan.

Bulma pushed in between them and put each hand on their chests.

"I think it's best to end it there." She looked from Vegeta to Yamcha. Yamcha straightened his jacket.

"Right." He ran a hand through his hair.

Vegeta scoffed. "Whatever." He crossed his arms and went to the car.


	12. Chapter 12

"Well, that could have been worse I guess." Yamcha said as he scratched the back of his head with a forced smile.

"Let's just forget about it." Bulma rolled her eyes watching the trees and hills fly by the car.

There was a moment of silence before Bulma looked over at Yamcha.

"So, how's your training going?" she asked smiling a little wanly.

He nodded "Good, I mean excellent!" he laughed as he smiled.

"Ha!" a voice emerged from the back of the car.

Bulma and Yamcha jumped a little Bulma looked at Vegeta who had a look of amusement on his face. Yamcha glanced back at the Saiyan and then scowled back at the road.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"It's not funny, it's hilarious." Vegeta said his shoulders moving with mirth.

The car swerved erratically as the scarred man turned abruptly back to look at the Saiyan "What are you implying?" he said borderline shouted.

Bulma gripped the dash after almost being tossed out of the car, and she buckled up when the car righted itself again.

"Why don't you focus on the road?" she growled at Yamcha.

Vegeta glanced at Bulma and back at Yamcha; whose shoulders were stiff and upraised in anger.

"I wasn't _implying _anything you earthling simpleton, I find it hilarious that you're even training. Face it you're just a weakling." Vegeta smirked.

The flying red car came to an abrupt stop, dust flew behind it.

Yamcha jumped out the side and looked angrily back at Vegeta.

"Come on! Let's do this!" he motioned with a hand, and twitched it toward himself.

Vegeta scowled and jumped out of the car and landed in front of Yamcha.

"Ugh! You guys are acting so stupid!" Bulma shouted as she scurried to unbuckle and get out of the car. She fiddled with the handle a moment and finally it popped open and she jumped out.

"Don't you dare start fighting!" she jumped in behind Yamcha and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Stop it…" she said loudly and then whispered "You know you can't beat him" she tightened her grip on his shoulder "you need to calm down, Yamcha." She said her eyes full of concern.

Yamcha stood unmoving for a moment, but after he looked at her concerned face he lowered his fists.

"Yeah, he's not worth it—" Before he could turn away from Bulma he found himself flat on his back a very satisfied Vegeta moving his fist around his wrist, a very smug expression was on his face.

Bulma gasped and fell to the ground to put her hands behind Yamcha's head. Yamcha was not moving and Bulma's eyes went wide, but she let out a sigh of relief when she found his pulse.

"Vegeta!" Bulma shouted as she tore her eyes away from the downed man.

He spat on the ground "Hit him a little harder than I thought, but he had it coming. Shouldn't have opened his big mouth. Maybe the pain in his jaw will remind him to think before he speaks. Ha, what an idiot!" he threw his head back a little and leaned sideways on the floating car in a very satisfied way.

Bulma pursed her lips in a sour way and narrowed her eyes at the Saiyan.

She was about to say something to the smug Saiyan but Yamcha groaned a trail of blood flowing out of his split lip.

"Oh, no!" Bulma gasped her eyebrows raised in concern as she looked at his jaw and along his head that was already turning blue and purple.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes at Bulma holding Yamcha and he turned away from them.

"Hey you!" Bulma shouted her voice shaking with concern.

Vegeta uncrossed his arms and looked over his shoulder.

"What?" he snapped.

"You're going to help me carry him into the car." She said.

He turned fully around glaring at her.

"Why would I do that?"

"It's your fault he's like this, you'd better help me." She embraced Yamcha's unconscious head and chest a little instinctively when she said this.

Vegeta turned away for a moment, but despite himself he walked over to the pair and pushed Bulma away from the fallen fighter.

"Hey!" she said as she fell back on her butt in the dirt as he grabbed Yamcha by the collar letting the unconscious mans feet drag in the dirt as he pulled him toward the floating car, and like a bag of trash he tossed him into the back seat. Yamcha groaned and writhed in the seat his nose starting to leak a bloody fluid.

Bulma watched her jaw hanging, horrified.

"Vegeta!" she squeaked as she ran to the car jumping into the back seat and looked Yamcha over, inspecting his head and body over she was practically shaking as she noticed the blood coming out of his nose and ears, all signs of a serious head trauma.

"Why did you do that! You-!" She looked behind her and saw that Vegeta was gone.

Bulma shook with rage. "I'm going to kill him." She snapped a buckle across Yamcha as best as she could, and jumped into the front seat her stomach turning. Despite shaking with rage she punched in the startup code on the cars panel and gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles white, her eyes tilted forward in concentration.

"I'm going to KILL him." She said through bared teeth her eyes shining.

CCCCCCCCCC

"What happened again?" the doctor asked Bulma who had her arms crossed so tightly that her elbows were actually aching. Bulma had been simmering in the waiting room after the orderly's had brought Yamcha in.

She watched Yamcha's face turn blue and swollen with a clenched jaw. He had been hit hard. The doctor had let her know that he had brain hemorrhaging, and a sizable depressed skull fracture along his temple. That and he had a broken jaw. The doctors told her he should recover okay, but they wouldn't know for sure until he woke up.

The doctor a serious looking bald man in his fifties cleared his throat.

"Well, miss?" he said.

"He got into a fight like an idiot! Just give me the paper work and let me out of here." She practically spat in the doctors face, making him move his face away from her. Bulma couldn't sit here like this. She was so angry.

The doctor moved his eyes across her.

"Hmm okay. Who did this?" He handed her the clipboard in his hand. When the pen didn't work she took it in a clenched fist on the side of the sheet cutting deeply into the white paper until a deep thick black line of ink appeared, and then like a beast she filled out the paper.

The nurse that appeared through the light blue curtain the area where Yamcha was lying on a bed made a quizzical face at the enraged woman, and looked at the doctor who shook his head.

Both the nurse and the doctor took a startled step back as Bulma thrust the clipboard in their faces.

"Here!" she turned around and almost set out in a dead sprint toward the exit.

"Did she tell you who did this?" the little blonde nurse said seriously to the doctor.

He shook his head. "No."

"Hmm" she said as she looked back through the curtains at the unconscious Yamcha.

CCCCCCCCC

Bulma hit the door abruptly the afternoon summer air hitting her flushed face.

She ran to the red car and hit the gas.

She pulled up to the house and practically flew out of the car to the house.

She looked back and forth scanning the yard and then went into the house.

"Vegeta!" She shouted. She calmed down a bit letting out a deep haggard breath.

When she stopped and listened she heard the gravity room running. She sprinted out the capsule and ran up the stairs leading to the door. She peeked in the window and saw him bathed in red light, doing pushups, sweat ran down every inch of his body. He still had the yellow khaki's on that he had been wearing at the café.

Bulma opened the panel by the door and pressed a blue button that read "off", which powered down the gravity room.

Vegeta immediately threw himself up and zeroed in at Bulma's face at the door, and he clenched his fists as the metal door opened to reveal Bulma with her hands on her hips and her feet wide apart.

Bulma had been so angry that he had left her that she had not even thought of anything to say.

"What is it?" he raised an angry quizzical brow at her.

Bulma walked into the room and put a stiff pointer finger in his face.

"You! That's what!" she shouted so loud that Vegeta squished his nose up as his ears rang a bit.

"What? Did he die again?" Vegeta laughed a little as he turned away from her to grab a towel that was lying on the control panel.

Bulma looked at him with disgust, her shoulders moving tightly to her spine again.

"How could you say such a thing? That's horrible, are you really so…" she couldn't find the word so Vegeta looked at her.

"Heartless? "he said plainly and stepped toward her "_Evil_?" he added still moving closer yet.

Bulma thought of her dream for a moment as he took even another step toward her.

"Perhaps, it's because I really don't give a damn? Especially for weaklings like him." he threw the white towel onto his shoulder. "Now get out of my face turn the machine back on, and let me train." He said.

Bulma's chest was heaving.

"You realize how seriously you hurt him? I can't believe—"  
"Oh shut up, why don't you just go to him if you're so concerned? Why are you here irritating me?" he said.

Bulma tried to hold the burning tears that begged to come out as she looked at the man in front of her. She just stood there feeling her heart dropping into the burning pit of her stomach. Her throat was tight and pained.

"Why do you have to be like this?" she said finally every word cracking through her mouth.

"All I did was punch your "boyfriend". Now, like I said—" he hissed, before she interrupted him. Vegeta seemed to snap a bit at this.

"Listen-!" but she choked as he grabbed her around the throat, and he was letting the rage take over him. Bulma had felt her back hit the control panel she instinctively put her hands down on the panel trying to brace herself against Vegeta's heavy weight.

"No, you listen I—" he stopped as he was bathed in red light. Bulma gasped she must have put her hand down on the panel and hit the start button on the panel her eyes went wide with fear.

The feminine voice came on over the speakers "Initiating gravity room level 500." She said. Vegeta didn't have let go of Bulma because she was slammed to the floor her arm bent back and made a grotesque crunching noise.

Vegeta could not explain the tingle of panic he felt. He looked at her body horrified. He snapped back to his senses and pressed the power down button. The red light disappeared.

"Powering down" the female synthesized voice said with almost infuriating calmness for the situation.

Bulma's body shook violently Vegeta fell to her side and pulled her up into his arms. She was gasping a line of blood falling down the corner of her red lips. Tears of pain were falling down her pale cheeks, and then she lost consciousness.

"Bulma!" Vegeta shouted his eyes wide with panic as he picked her up in his arms and flew up as fast as he could to the only person he knew could help.

CCCCCCCCC

"Hey, dad" Gohan said. Goku and Piccolo stopped exchanging punches and blocks, and looked at the boy.

"It's almost four and you know what mom said…" he made a sheepish face and pointed to the watch on his wrist that his mom Chi-Chi had given him.

"Yeah." Goku tousled the kid's hair.  
"You'd better go. Say hello to your mom for me" Goku smiled. Gohan stopped when he heard his father shout "Tell her to make a big dinner too!" he added and made Gohan laugh at little.

"Bye dad!" the little boy waved, and flew away like his life depended on it.

In midair Goku and Piccolo looked back at each other and dared the other to make the next move.

"Tired?" Piccolo asked looking at Goku.

"Yeah right!" Goku said charging forward chambering a roundhouse. Piccolo perked his ears just as Goku was in mid swing with his kick. The Namekian looked off toward the west before he had to come around to push on Goku's leg with an outside block.

"We have company" the green man growled.

"Yeah I feel it too."Goku said relaxing his leg and looking out toward what was now a speck.

"He's really powered up isn't he?" Piccolo said a bit tensely.

"Yeah, maybe he finally came to train with us?" Goku said brightly as he readied himself.

"Yeah, right" Piccolo said with obvious skepticism almost rolling his eyes at Goku's obvious optimism.

Vegeta was charged to full speed stopped in front of them.

Piccolo and Goku looked shocked when they realized what was in his arms.

"Bulma!" Goku flew to Vegeta's side. "What happened?" Goku asked.

Vegeta was breathing very heavily and very agitated looked at him.

"That doesn't really matter now does it?" he bellowed his eyes shifted back and forth between Goku and Piccolo.

"I need to get her one of those senzu beans now!" as if to make him panic more Bulma groaned and moved in his arms.

Goku looked at Bulma. "Here I'll take—"he said and reached out his arms a bit, but to his surprise Vegeta flinched and pulled her tighter to him.

"Just lead the way Kakkarot." He said his body tense. He felt like this was his responsibility, and if this woman didn't make he knew he wouldn't feel okay with it. The Saiyan Prince wasn't really sure how he had developed a small attachment to the earth woman, and he had never felt this way, not since his father had been killed. Sheer panic.

"We need to get her to a hospital first, Vegeta. We don't know if Korin will have—" he said.

"Whatever! Just lead the way!" Vegeta shouted his body started to visibly shake.

"Piccolo." Goku said seriously "Go to Korin."

The Namekian nodded and flew away.

"Let's go!" Goku said to Vegeta who followed very close behind Goku.

Piccolo knew that Bulma and Vegeta would somehow have a child together. But that didn't make him feel any less suspicious of how Bulma had gotten hurt, and he knew that Vegeta had a major anger issue. He also had to admit that it was strange to see Vegeta like this; he wasn't one to save people. Besides, maybe that Trunks kid had subtlety changed something, because it did not look good for Bulma, Piccolo could barely feel her life force. She had been hurt bad, Piccolo sped up toward Korin tower.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Goku took a deep breath and swallowed his fear of hospitals as he ran inside the emergency room doors and ran through them almost throwing them off their hinges.

The unconscious Bulma was wheezing and a bruise was beginning to form on her neck.

"Hey I need some help over here!" his eyes looked around frantically in the sterile room and his eyes fell on a woman who ran to him.

The triage nurse looked at Bulma. Immediately she was whisked away from him by techs and put into a rolling bed.

"Let's get her to the exam room." The nurse demanded as they wheeled her forward on the bed, taking her blood pressure as the assistant took the girls temperature.

The nurses all turned their heads as the head doctor arrived her eyebrows contracted nervously. News spread fast that Ms. Briefs had arrived with what looked like a crushed trachea.

Bulma wheezed and thrashed in her cot the nurses held her arms and tried to keep her from slamming into the sides. She was sheen with sweat and almost looked like a wild animal her eyes rolling in her head.

"Get her sedated!" one of the white coats yelled. Goku turned away as the needle appeared.

Goku eyes narrowed to small slits.

"Looks like tracheobronchial injury, Dr. Kelley." The head nurse told her.

Dr. Kelley narrowed her eyes "Looks like we're going to have to do a bronchoscopy."  
"Hey, watch it! A nurse yelled as he hit Goku in the side with a rolling steel tray with needles and scalpels.

Goku cringed and jumped out of the way. He looks back and gulped at seeing an incision being put into her white neck.

Goku couldn't watch her like this, and he was just getting in the way, this was not his arena. He walked out toward the waiting room and he saw Vegeta standing by the lined chairs his back was facing Goku, and Goku couldn't help but grind his teeth. Vegeta had done this.

"Vegeta—" Goku said his voice unwavering.

Vegeta stood in the waiting room his arms crossed tightly his fingers dug into his skin.

"She's alive, for now." Goku's eyes flashed with a rare expression of anger at his fellow Saiyan.

Vegeta's lip and nose twitched and his face lowered into a snarl.

"You don't know what you're talking about" he was visibly breathing harder and his finger pointed sharply at Goku.

He walked closer to Vegeta.

Goku looked steadily at Vegeta's back. When he didn't turn around Goku walked up to him putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Vegeta said his voice strained as he pulled away and walked away toward the doors of the emergency room exits.

Goku pulled his hand back and clenched his fists he cared for both of them but he just couldn't stomach Vegeta hurting Bulma like this, it was wrong.

"Vegeta." He said but he was interrupted by a big woman with a tablet of papers.

"Excuse me sir, could you fill out these papers?"

"Huh? Papers?" Goku cocked his head to the side, "Um I don't know anything about that, what If I just call Bulma's parents?"

"Uh, okay, I guess…the phone…" But he put his fingers to his forehead and he was gone in a flash.

The big lady turned to Vegeta "Could you—"

"No." he said sternly striding swiftly to the hospital exit.

"Ugh!" she cried shoulders slumping in irritation.

The Saiyan prince was about to fly off when a voice came from a nearby tree where Goku was leaning, it had become hazy and cloudy and Goku looked unusually dark and serious.

"Bulma is my friend Vegeta, and I won't let you hurt her again. I don't care what Trunks said about you, maybe something changed." Goku said and he stood in front of Vegeta.

"I don't know what you're talking about you clown!" Vegeta said before pushing Goku and flying away.

Goku would have none of it and he was in front of Vegeta in a flash.

"Get out of my way."

"No."

"What would this solve? Do you want me to say sorry? Do you want me to beg for forgiveness?" Vegeta said sarcastically.

"yes." Goku said crossing his arms.

Vegeta clenched his fists at his sides and growled trying to pass Goku.

Finally after repeatedly trying to dodge Goku Vegeta punched Goku right in the face. It sent Goku reeling but he righted himself in the air as he wiped the stream of blood from his lip.

"You want to fight, clown, then fine you got yourself a fight." Vegeta cracked his knuckles into fists.

"I don't want to fight you Vegeta."

"Don't play coy with me you're a Saiyan just like me, we're always looking for a fight."

"You didn't let me finish. I don't want to fight you Vegeta, I want you to pay for what you did."

"Fine, I see." Vegeta said sounding resigned.

Goku knew that Vegeta was remorseful, but he wanted to see it for himself, he wanted Vegeta to _feel it. _Even if that meant he would have to beat it out of the prideful Saiyan himself. In a way this fight was inevitable.

"Well, get on with it!" Vegeta shook with anticipation and a bit of fear; of course not _fear _in the traditional sense but that perhaps Goku had found a way to surpass him.

Vegeta didn't even have a chance as Goku grabbed him.

When Vegeta had reoriented himself they were both above an island.

"Ready?" Goku said in a rather friendly tone for an adversary.

"I was _born _ready." The Saiyan Prince said.


End file.
